


Apricity

by SparkleCupcake



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff and Crack, Ichigo Seimono is a Bi Disaster, Is She A Mary Sue? You Decide™, Just a Big Old OC Party, Multi, Partying, Previous Inuzuka Hana/OC, Romantic Comedy, Underage Drinking, the garbage high school au i took myself too seriously as a teen to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-11-07 05:07:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17954153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkleCupcake/pseuds/SparkleCupcake
Summary: Ichigo Seimono was going to take senior year by the horns. With her three best friends by her side, she could do anything. Well, anything other than shake off the summer fling that had left her breathless, heartbroken, and far too invested in psychology textbooks to be healthy. But damned if she wasn't going to try and party it away anyway. How many shots will it take to mend her broken heart?Itachi Uchiha was unwilling to admit that he'd taken too much on this year. Student Council President, sure, with a competent e-board. Captain of the Debate Team was an honor, and he wasn't going to quit the baseball team when they needed him to pitch. Four advanced classes and no real electives? It was a good thing the faculty had given him a free period. Add on making sure his little brother got through freshman year in one piece and his cousin tormenting him at any opportunity, and it made perfect sense that he was so tired.





	1. Caffeine

**Author's Note:**

> Apricity came out of me during NaNoWriMo when I was trying to rewrite/continue Just to Be a Good Neighbor. It's a fluffy high school AU starring a Naruto OC I made when I was about 12. At first I wasn't going to post it— it's a High School AU of a Canon Divergence AU that inspired my best friend and I's childhood RP— but it felt a waste with how much I have written. And who knows, maybe some people will forgive my ubiquitous use of OCs and enjoy themselves. I'm not going to lie, there are more OCs as main characters than canon characters, but it was fun to write.

Senior year. At last. This was it. It was going to be Ichigo's year. She was going to knock them all dead.  She had classes she wanted, friends she adored, the reputation that would get her into any party she chose; and she thought she looked better than ever . She winked at her reflection.  The only thing that bothered her was the long drive; but music made it bearable. As did coffee. On a whim, she bought three extra drinks— one for each of her best friends.

Konan was smoking by the fence and took cold brew with a nod. She wasn’t the morning type. Ichigo didn’t think she had a death wish but couldn’t help calling out the disgusting habit.

“I thought you were going to quit now that Pein isn’t here for you to bum cigs off of.” Her nose scrunched at the stench. It had never been her thing.

“I realized I'm 18 and can buy my own. If you don’t like it, go chill with the others. I’ll be there in a minute.” She took a drag and stared at Ichigo with challenge in her eyes. Ichigo shrugged and moved on.

Hiyomi and Misaki had a table already. Hiyomi organized her bag for what she'd bet was the third time, while Misaki slumped over, her head down. Ichigo passed Hiyomi a cappuccino and nodded towards Misaki in silent question.

“Thanks for the coffee, Ichigo. Misaki realized she hates her schedule and it's too late to change it.” The offending item stuck out of Misaki’s hand, so Ichigo took it, replacing it with a cinnamon latte. She tossed the tray and scanned over the schedule.

“Misaki, we have four classes together. Five, if you count lunch. What do you hate about it?” It was rigorous, sure, but Misaki hadn't cared about that last year. If anything, she had done more then.

She sat up and pointed at Hiyomi with a pout. “She has a free period and we don’t! If I had a free period, I could sleep in every day.”

“Wait, they were giving out free periods?” Ichigo snatched Hiyomi’s schedule as soon as she offered it. “What the hell? How? And at the beginning of the day? I could get here so much later! This is bullshit.”

"The faculty offered them to people with high GPAs and a lot of club involvement. I could have taken another class, but it’s nice to have time for homework. And when things start getting busy for Student Council or the school newspaper, I can use that time for it!” She grinned. So the school only trusted free periods to students they knew would use them for good. Ichigo was jealous. Maybe she should've joined some clubs at the end of last year just to manipulate the system... 

"Oh, it's with Mr. Hatake! He was pretty cool when I was in Debate. Do you think if I didn't quit I could have gotten a free period? Hatake totally would have let me sleep, too... This sucks.” Misaki brightened up for a second before falling back into schedule-related despair.

"So who do we get to be jealous of?" Ichigo sipped her coffee.

“I know that all the student council seniors got one…  I think they gave Itachi Uchiha a  totally open period, since he’s in pretty much everything . I guess they figured he could supervise himself. Shisui Uchiha does, since he’s vice president, and um…” Hiyomi tried to puzzle it out, counting off her fingers.

“ Just tell us later, when you've seen them. We have gym, lunch, and advanced chemistry, and nothing else. How did I not fix this last year?" Ichigo complained with a pout.

“What about me?” Konan switched schedules with her as she sat down.  “We have that psychology class you wanted to take together, and… government, and we all have advanced chemistry . That gov class switches to advanced econ second semester, right? I need it for college applications.”

“Yeah, but those two are doing advanced gov this semester and normal econ next. At least we all have chemistry, I guess. We should be able to snatch a table to ourselves.” She drummed her fingers on the table until Misaki slapped her hand.

“You’ve been here 10 minutes and you’re already driving me nuts. I don’t know how I’m going to manage five classes with you,” she groused.

“Drink your coffee. You don’t have to sit next to me, Misaki. I’ll  just cry because my best friend betrayed me. No big.” Ichigo faked a sniffle.

“You’re going to be so extra this year, aren’t you?” Misaki sighed into her latte.

“She’s wearing leather pants on day one. You don’t even need to ask,” Konan asserted, gesturing at Ichigo’s outfit.

“They’re not real leather. I liked how they looked, that's all! And it’s not a sign of me being dramatic!” Ichigo tried to wave away the attention. “Hiyomi, do I look ridiculous?”

“I have to go meet up with the student council members. Sorry!” Hiyomi fled.

“That was sudden. Is it that bad?” Ichigo surveyed herself. She thought she looked hot.  Admittedly , she was teetering on the edge of dress code, but she felt good, and that was more important.

“Nope, Uchiha  just started walking up.  I think she forgot she needed to be there.” Konan nodded towards the front of the school, and Ichigo turned to look. Nearby, several girls did the same.

“He’s cute. I don’t think I’ve ever actually met him.” She hadn’t realized she was into guys with ponytails. Then again, she liked it when H-... Ichigo wasn't going to think about that.

“I'm pretty sure you have. Party at Nagano’s, in June? He showed up to drive Shisui home. He's done it a bunch of times. You must not have talked.” Misaki tried to think back on it, fingers tapping a bright pink lip.

“We were in the pool. Shisui jumped in in his underwear and splashed the hell out of me,” Konan recounted. She smirked at the memory, even though she had been furious at the time.

“Oh. I remember that part, but I don’t remember Itachi. It might have been after...” Ichigo changed the subject, “ Honestly , all the things I’ve heard about him made me think he didn’t actually exist. How can someone do all that stuff and not go nuts?”

“He’s some kind of prodigy… But if you turn into another Uchiha fangirl, I swear I'll die," Misaki asserted. “Anyway, why did you try so hard today?”

“What do you mean why did I try so hard? It’s the first day of school. You’re wearing like, three different layers of frills.” Ichigo scoffed, trying to hide a creeping blush. She had tried— her howls of frustration at her closet were so loud that her mother came up to see what was wrong. Which, of course, led to an argument.

“Well yeah, but I’m expected to look super cute! You look like…” Misaki tried to think of an appropriate comparison.

“Like sex on legs, Ichigo. Do you want people to hit on you or something?” Konan finished. Ichigo blushed at that. It didn't help that it was coming from last year's fleeting crush.  Try as she might to flirt, she couldn't separate Konan from her boyfriend; instead, she became a confidante .

“I  just wanted to be memorable this year. I was pretty popular at the end of last year, so  I might as well be on top. I'm not 'the new girl' anymore.” She stared at her nails, trying to seem nonchalant. She wasn't looking for a date, but if someone cute enough popped up, she'd take the ticket to Rebound City.

“God, you’re so extra,” Konan chuckled.

“Well, what else is there for me to go after? I’m already smart, hot, and talented. All that’s left is to be more popular.” Ichigo smirked, red lips obscured by her coffee cup.

“Have you considered becoming humble?” Misaki teased.

“Tried it. Realized it sucked. I can’t walk through this school with magenta hair without confidence to back it up.”

“You passed confidence a while ago, princess. Now you’re  just cocky," Konan countered.

“Okay fine. Call me out. You’re jealous. The bell’s going to ring soon.  Shall we, my minions?” Ichigo grinned. She tried a cheeky wink, but her friends cringed.

“Ugh. You’re lucky we love you. Let’s get good seats.”  The trio weaved through the halls, past squealing reunions and confused freshmen, until they reached their first class .

“Ibiki Morino.  I wonder what he’s like. I heard his tests are  really hard.” Ichigo started to drum on the desk and stopped herself. She wouldn't make Misaki more irritated if she could help it.

“Sounds kind of nerdy, right? Like the glasses type," Misaki hypothesized.

“And he’s into psychology.  Probably wants us to memorize the whole textbook,” Konan added, regret in her tone.

“I don’t know. I have a good feeling about this class.” It was an understatement. Ichigo was  incredibly excited. She wanted to take the class when she first transferred, but it filled up before she could. Ichigo had begun her junior year disappointed, but determined to get in for senior year.  She even spent part of the summer buried in psych textbooks— although that wasn't  entirely out of enthusiasm for the subject . What was going to happen in this class?

They didn’t have to wait long to find out. A minute or so after the bell rang, a massive man in a trenchcoat walked in and shut the door. Every student in the room went silent, heads staring straight at the front with no exceptions.

“Alright. Welcome to Advanced Psychology. If you’re here, you scored an 80 percent or higher on my pre-test at the end of last year.” Ichigo had forgotten about the test. She'd spent the entire night before she took it studying, and still found it challenging.

“That was the easiest test you’ll get. I will drive you hard. You are going to work for the college credit. If that’s not something you’re ready for, I’ll write you a pass to Guidance so that I don’t have to deal with you. Any takers?” He looked out into the crowd  sternly . He had a massive scar across his mouth. Ichigo wondered where it came from. A few  visibly nervous students took passes and left. About 20 remained.

“Okay, now that we’ve weeded out some of the weakest kids, let’s get down to business. I’m Ibiki Morino, but  just call me Ibiki. If you call me Mr. Morino, I will most likely not answer to it. Let's give out the syllabi and discuss what we’ll be covering this year.” He pulled out a thick stack of papers and scanned the room, unwilling to leave the front. “You, third row, pink hair. Pass these out for me. And, your name?”

Ichigo went up to the front and took the papers, beginning her tour of the room to distribute them. “Ichigo Seimono.”

“Hmm… You got a perfect score on the pretest despite not taking my regular psychology course. You cheat?”

“Nope.  Just enjoy psychology,” Ichigo replied with a shrug. She finished and took the extras to the front. “Any other questions, Ibiki?”

“Do you always sound so disrespectful? Can anyone vouch for her?” Ibiki’s words implied offense but he was smiling. Konan snorted.

“I do, sir.” Ichigo flashed a defiant smile and leaned back in her seat.

“Alright. Princess, punk, names and your opinions on Pink here.” He gestured at Misaki and Konan.

“Misaki Nao, and this is Konan. She’s always that smug, sir. She doesn’t mean anything by it. She’s sassy but we love her anyway,” Misaki smirked. The class laughed at her description.

“Alright, sounds honest. Now, does anyone have any questions on the syllabus before I get into my spiel?”

“I do, sir. Rie Kobayashi, if you remember me. I took your psychology course two years ago. How in-depth is this compared to that course?” A petite girl with stylish glasses and long, straight hair inquired. Ichigo was pretty sure she was in the choir. The studious type, if her question was any  indication . Had they taken a class together last year?

“I remember you, Kobayashi. Excellent paper on Jung. To compare the two… My normal class is a kiddie pool, and this is an Olympic pool. Better be ready to swim."

“I see. Thanks for the information, Ibiki,” Kobayashi chirped with a nod. She was pretty. Ichigo kind of wanted to get to know her. She studied her for another minute or so while another student asked a question Ichigo didn’t care about.  Kobayashi turned to the girl sitting behind her and said something Ichigo couldn't make out . The girl's hands shook and she got up and left the room.

“Well, I guess the thought of that many papers scared her away. I can’t blame her. Is anyone else planning on leaving?” Ibiki waited a few seconds, then continued talking, “Okay. So, we’re splitting this class into three segments…”

Ichigo listened to Ibiki’s monologue, parsing the syllabus at the same time. She… was familiar with  all of it? That couldn’t be right. She hadn’t studied that hard over the summer. No way. She did spend a while buried in textbooks… But that was only because her ex wasn’t calling her back. She spent the rest of class listening to Ibiki and hoping she was wrong. They’d pick up their textbooks tomorrow and Ichigo would be able to see the parts she wasn’t familiar with. As Ibiki answered more questions, Misaki and Konan grew more tense. By the end of class, Ichigo could feel Misaki glaring at her back so hard it burned. Luckily, Konan's matching glower chilled her to the bone.

They split up after Ibiki’s class, Misaki all but hanging her head about the intensity. Ichigo walked into advanced calculus to find a seating chart posted on the board. Oh, cool. Tables. She was with Rie Kobayashi, Shisui Uchiha, and Tatsuki Nagano.  The boys were already there, so Ichigo joined them with ease.

“Hey, Ichigo. Good to see you survived the summer,” Nagano teased.

“It was a close one. Shouldn’t you be saying that to Shisui, though?” She protested, grinning.

“Hey, I’m not  nearly as much of a degenerate as you are!” The curly haired Uchiha shook his head.

“And yet, you were the one in the pool in your underwear. Back me up, Nagano!”

“If I remember  correctly , the reason you weren’t playing strip poker was because you were chasing after Hana with an armful of jello shots . Gonna have to agree with Shisui on this one,” Nagano asserted. She couldn't argue with his ruling— he'd hosted the party.

“Well, unlike Shisui, I won the game I played.” Ichigo flipped her braid over her shoulder, and it smacked Kobayashi in the side as the girl joined them.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Rie Kobayashi, right?” She gave her most stunning smile.  Rebound City, she thought,  please be kind.

“Oh, here she goes again…” Shisui remarked, Nagano chuckling.

“Yeah. Watch it, pink.” Kobayashi sneered at Ichigo and got crossed off the list of possibilities. Not gonna be a friend, and definitely not going to be anything more than that. No ticket there. Class started, and when Kobayashi went up front to pass out papers, the boys leaned in.

“I don’t think you have a single chance. She’s obsessed with Itachi Uchiha. Like,  obsessed . And even if she wasn't, I doubt she's batting for your team,” Nagano explained, waving her off.

“It's kind of sad. My cousin doesn't think of her that way, and he's obvious about it, but she's territorial anyway.” Shisui sighed.

“Oh, you’re cousins?” There were so many Uchihas at this school that she hadn't bothered to keep track.

“Yeah. Itachi’s my cousin, and his brother Sasuke is a freshman this year. Then, there’s Izumi, who's—”

“I don’t need the family tree," Ichigo cut him off, "I don’t think I’ve met Itachi, though. Guess he’s too busy being the golden boy.”

“Are you taking Hatake’s advanced lit class?”

“Yeah, I am. The summer reading was so good!” Ichigo grinned.

“God I don’t… Yeah, you’ll meet him then. You’ll  probably hit it off, with an attitude like that,” Shisui replied. He looked a little sickened by her enthusiasm. “I thought you were a party girl.”

“I wear many hats, Uchiha. So do you. I have a brain.” She shrugged.

Kobayashi returned, attitude still  firmly in place, “You didn’t look like you had one when you leapt on Suzuki last year .”

“You’re not wrong. It wasn’t my best moment,” Ichigo  begrudgingly agreed. She parsed the syllabus, bored. If Kobayashi was going to be nasty, Ichigo wasn’t going to give her the time of day. She had better things to do. The class began and Kobayashi asked to switch tables, putting the girl who’d left Ibiki’s class crying in her place.

“Hey, you good?” Ichigo murmured, leaning over so as not to disrupt anyone. The girl nodded. She looked focused on the teacher, so Ichigo didn’t say anything else. With Kobayashi’s attitude, Ichigo had a feeling she hadn’t been crying about Ibiki’s strict class.

She  really wanted to ask what happened, but she didn’t even know this person’s name. Had they taken History together last year?  Maybe ? Ichigo tried to focus on Mr. Nara, but it was an impossible task. And every time her eyes strayed too far, Shisui made a weird face at her. This was going to be a long year. Math had never been her favorite.

Eventually she was free of Nara’s monologue about logic and more than ready to see her friends. She hustled to the gym even though they wouldn’t be doing anything that day. Misaki and Hiyomi had beat her there, and the three of them shared a collective sigh.

“How was Government? Was it as awkward as my Calc class?” They picked a spot on the bleachers and settled in to chill. The freshmen had to get locks and uniforms, so they'd be sure to spend the first few days of class doing nothing.

“I made a terrible mistake picking this schedule.” Misaki looked ashen. “There’s going to be so much writing so early in the morning.”

“Mr. Sarutobi started notes, with almost no warning. We got ‘Welcome to Advanced Government, I’m Asuma Sarutobi.’ Then poof, screen on and he’s lecturing. I’m pretty sure Itachi and I were the only ones who got all the notes,” Hiyomi explained.

“You got all the notes? How? Let me see them.” Misaki pulled out her spiral, frantic.

“I'm so glad I didn’t take that class. Calc was alright besides the awkwardness. I  was at a table with Shisui, Nagano, and that Kobayashi chick, but she asked to move as soon as Mr. Nara started talking.

"Did I do something to her that I don’t remember? Because she was way nasty. She switched with that girl who was crying in Ibiki’s class. I said like two words to her, and she acted like I kicked her puppy."

“Nope, she’s always like that to girls she sees as competition. She probably made that girl cry.” Misaki looked up from Hiyomi’s notes for a second to answer, then her pencil darted over the page even faster.

“Competition? I was about to flirt with her. Is she  really that crazy about the student council president?” Ichigo pondered out loud.

“She is. At the end of last year she actually asked me to resign from Student Council so I wouldn’t be serving with him. Speaking of which...” Hiyomi rummaged through her messenger bag once again.

Ichigo whistled. The boys hadn't been kidding about Kobayashi's obsession. Regardless, it was a relief to know that her attitude wasn't Ichigo's fault. Hiyomi pulled out her planner and a sheaf of papers, clenching highlighters and a pen with her teeth.

“What’s that?” It seemed important, judging by how  aggressively Hiyomi began cross-referencing.

“Itachi made everyone a list of currently scheduled Student Council events and meetings.  We might add or remove some of these based on funding, but it's everything we planned with the old members in May. It was  really smart of him to give us this! Our first meeting is on Friday, and we’re going to try and recruit some new members, too! Do either of you want to do it?” She was way too perky to be transferring pages of dates. Ichigo considered it until she realized the packet was double-sided.

“Nope. That’s way too much commitment. Not gonna happen.” Over her dead body.

“Ditto. Sorry Hiyocchi.” Misaki’s hand moved as  feverishly as Hiyomi's— how many notes had she missed? How many notes were there total?

“You guys would like it if you  just gave it a try. And it’ll look good on your college applications!”  She had to give Hiyomi credit for trying, but four pages of dates that could still have  more gave Ichigo the shivers .

“Four pages, Hiyomi. Four. I can think of like… five things I want to go to this year, and that’s stretching it.” She pulled out her book. She’d finished the short story for Lit early in the summer and wanted to revisit it before Hatake's class. Ichigo had a feeling she was going to love the course. Which was good, considering she'd spoiled psychology for herself over the summer. It would be something to look forward to every day.

“Well, this also includes all the dates of other major events. I only wish I had thought to message him over the summer so he could include the Chronicle publishing dates. Oh well, I’ll have to cross-reference it myself.” She brandished her own double-sided monstrosity. Ichigo paled.

“You could join the staff of the paper. You’re a pretty good writer, and I’m not beyond nepotism,” Hiyomi offered.

“Why do I have to join anything? Can’t I  just take senior year as it comes? I have a ton of stuff to put on applications," Ichigo retorted.

“Upside-down beer bong challenge winner,” Misaki supplied.

“Darts champion,” Hiyomi pointed out, before adding, "Founder of four clubs, member of none."

“Jello shot contest runner up… What even is your GPA, Ichigo?” Misaki inquired, judgmental.

“You guys are assholes. 3.8 and fuck you  personally , jello shot contest champion.” Ichigo dug around in her bag for her earbuds. She didn't have to put up with this.

“Unweighted.” Misaki cocked an eyebrow.

“3.8. My weighted is like… 4.3 or something. I do well in my classes. I got a high SAT score last year, too, if you want that. Or  maybe my license number? My Social?” She began the laborious process of detangling the cord.

“Well, shit.” Misaki nodded in respect. Hiyomi’s jaw dropped.

“You can’t… But…” She looked concerned, growing more tense by the second. Ichigo worried that if she didn't say something, her friend would combust.

“I also was at a different school than you for freshman and sophomore year. Things here are harder!” She smiled, completely unsure if what she'd said was true. Sometimes you had to make concessions. 

“Oh, that makes sense.” Hiyomi smiled back. Ichigo put on an acoustic playlist and leaned her head back against the bleachers. The only good thing about compulsory gym classes was the delayed start. She’d still rather be taking something else, but a few days of relaxing while the freshmen held things up was nice. She flipped her book open again and leaned back against her bag, stretching her legs onto the row in front of her.  It was peaceful— they focused on their activities, only stopping for the occasional comment or question .

Lunch was not. When the four of them first sat down, it was nice. They had the best table in the room and some company. But every few minutes, someone would walk up to talk about their summer or their classes. Ichigo had partied with most of them but she still couldn't put names to all the faces. She  barely had time to finish her food. Near the end of lunch, Ichigo wanted to hide. Reaching for popularity had been a mistake. Why did no one ever tell her that being popular sucked?

“I should take a leaf out of your book and answer in one word, Konan.  Seriously . And everyone asking about Hana, too…” She trailed off with a sigh.

“Sucks to be you. That’s what you get for ghosting us for half the summer.” Konan ate pocky and played on her phone, slapping Ichigo’s hand away every time she tried to steal a stick.

“What happened with her anyway? You were all over each other in the pool that night,” Misaki asked with a head tilt.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Ichigo chewed her lip. She had to stop doing that.

“You owe us some kind of explanation, don’t you think?” Even Hiyomi wasn’t sympathetic this time. To be fair, Ichigo disappeared for a month. She'd only posted cryptic updates to social media and had left everyone on read.

“Well, okay. We hooked up at Nagano’s party, like you said. We left together, and  really hit it off. We stayed in her car talking for hours. I fell for her so hard.” She fidgeted.

“And I thought she fell for me too. She introduced me to her family, and they were all cool with it. My mom already kind of knew so she was cool with it. Everything was really really good.

“And then it  just … wasn’t.  All of a sudden, she’d  barely respond to me. We’d go hang out somewhere or go on a date and it  just felt off. I thought  maybe it was something I’d said, or done. We were in my room and I asked her about it and she made a move on me  all of a sudden. I wasn’t ready for it and I kind of freaked out. Hana wasn’t cool about that.” Ichigo reached for her water and took a few slow sips before continuing.

“She said she wanted to try things out with a girl before she went off to college and she hadn’t been serious about me at all. I had been very, very serious about her. I was so ready to do the long distance thing. I tried to tell her that and it was so  awkward  and she left, saying she’d call me later. She never did.” Ichigo fiddled with the edge of her shirt, staring at the table.

“I  really liked her. I was falling in love with her. We were together for like, two and a half weeks and I couldn’t help it. I spent the last week of my 'hiatus' waiting for her to call and burying myself in books. And crying.  Mostly crying, if I’m honest.” She rubbed the back of her neck.

“So, when you invited us all to stay at your place while your mom was out of town... and took us shopping and everything, it wasn’t because you were all hyped up from a month-long sex binge?” Misaki's voice dropped to a guilty murmur.

“Nope. It was more of a 'please hang out with me because I’m depressed' situation. And a 'I don’t think I can stand to be alone right now' and 'I miss you guys and I’m sorry' situation.” Ichigo stared at her hands. She felt pathetic.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t know! I was  really mean to you  just now and back then and if I’d known I wouldn’t have been so insensitive… Ichigo!” Hiyomi wailed, throwing herself at Ichigo in a hug.

“Um, it’s fine.  Just be quiet and stop clinging on me so much.” People were starting to look and Ichigo didn’t want the attention for once. Hiyomi blinked up at her, aqua eyes shining under thick lashes, and Ichigo swallowed. 

She leaned away, blushing. Definitely not touching whatever those feelings were with a ten foot pole. She would never flirt with a close friend like Hiyomi. Especially not when she was looking for a rebound. Ichigo planned to go to a back to school party, get trashed, and make out with a stranger in a corner until she felt better. Simple. Easy. Perfect.

“Isn’t her little brother here this year? I thought I heard Inuzuka in the hallway. Is that going to be awkward for you?” Konan was asking out of a place of care and trying to protect Ichigo, but the thought hadn’t even occurred to her. It tied her stomach in knots.

“Yeah. Kiba’s a freshman. Oh fuck.  I wonder what she told her family.  I wonder if she’s having fun at college.  I think she and Pein are at the same place. Oh god what if—,” Ichigo paled. It felt like summer's last blooms were winding around her throat.

“Hey! He’s a freshman and he’s sure as fuck not going to say anything to you with us around. Snap out of it!” Misaki snapped, “It’s all going to be fine! You  probably won’t even see him. And who cares if she’s doing well or not— it sounds like she treated you like shit!”

It worked to snap Ichigo out of it, even as she felt anxiety prickling under the surface. She took a few deep breaths. “You're right, I can’t let this ruin my first day. I said I wanted to be at the top of the food chain, and feeling sorry for myself won’t help. I’m going to make the rest of the day my bitch and not think about her at all.”

“Atta girl. C’mon, it’s almost time for the Lit class you’ve wanted to nerd over.” Misaki hooked arms with Ichigo, tugging her out of the cafeteria. Konan and Hiyomi watched them go with amused smiles.

“See you guys in Chemistry!"


	2. Playing With Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literature class is exactly as good as Ichigo expected. And Government is just as bad. Who knew she was such a spirited debater?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On an editing roll. Here's chapter two, already. Sorry for all the reposts for editing! Some of the text didn't paste in formatted.

They were way too early. Misaki made Ichigo skip down the hallways with her to her locker, so they were first. A slender man reclined at the teacher’s desk, a medical mask covering half of his face. “Yo. Your names are on your seats, along with syllabi and your first couple assignments. Welcome to Advanced Literature.”

“Thanks, Mr…” Ichigo couldn’t tell if this was their professor or an intern. He looked to be in his twenties.

“Hatake. Kakashi Hatake. Dr. Hatake, if you’re feeling technical, but I prefer Mr.” He had to have gotten his doctorate early. There was no way… But then again, the spikes erupting from his head were silver… With the mask, there was no way of knowing. And what was with the mask, anyway? Was he sick on the first day of school?

Ichigo found her seat near the back corner. There was one student behind her. She peeked, hoping it wasn't Shisui. Itachi Uchiha. Looks like she’d be meeting him sooner than she thought. She folded her name card into a triangle and peeked at the syllabus. It was more of a book list; she saw a few titles she’d read, and many she hadn’t. The back page of the packet was their first assignment.

“Write an essay in no fewer than 1000 words on a subject of your choice. This assignment is to judge the quality and style of your writing, so choose anything you’d like. Especially interesting essays have the potential for bonus points. This assignment is due on the first Friday of term.” 

He had to waste a sheet of paper on four sentences? They weren’t even formatted to fit the page. He could have copied and pasted it and fit at least eight on the sheet.  Clearly , he didn’t get his doctorate in recycling. He seemed lazy, but the books he’d chosen were good, so Ichigo was happy. She was marking the ones she would need to track down copies of when Shisui walked in, cousin in tow. Mr. Hatake told them about the seating and Shisui made it a point to walk towards Ichigo first.

“Oh, lucky! Your seat is over here, Itachi. You get to sit in the back with Ichigo! This will be the nerd corner,” he proclaimed. Ichigo rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. Shisui bounded off to keep looking and Itachi walked over with a nod to his cousin.

Ichigo couldn’t help but notice that Itachi was much better looking close up. He’d seemed attractive before, but when he approached she felt her mouth go dry. She never thought she had a type, but if she did, Itachi was it. Again, not a feeling she was going to address. No way was she going to rebound with a guy she had to sit next to all year. He hesitated before taking his seat and Ichigo realized she was staring.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Ichigo Seimono. I transferred in last year." She gave the morning's charming smile another chance. Even if Ichigo didn't plan on flirting, it didn't hurt to make a good first impression.

“Itachi Uchiha. I’ve heard your name a lot. It’s nice to put a face to it.” He returned the smile with a polite one of his own, and Ichigo  silently cheered her success. 

“And you as well, Student Council President. Don’t work Hiyomi too hard.” They exchanged a few more niceties and fell silent, waiting for class to begin.

When the bell rang, Hatake shut the door and moved to the front. “Welcome to Advanced Literature. I’m Kakashi Hatake. A little about me… I earned my doctorate from a great university, I enjoy many hobbies, and I look forward to teaching a college level course this year. As for the syllabus… we will be reading nearly all of those books this year. Any questions about the class?”

“Yes. Are there seat changes? I’d prefer to see the board from further back.” So Kobayashi was here too. And with the object of her infatuation so close, it seemed like she was willing to pull some bullshit. But would Hatake accommodate it?

“ Certainly , Rie, with a note from your optometrist, verified by your parents. Anything else?” His eyes creased when he smiled. Yep. Lazy. Ichigo noted the familiarity between them. Kobayashi was in Debate, according to Misaki.

“Oh, I have one. Ichigo Seimono, Mr. Hatake. Would you say this course will be more discussion based or writing based?” She was fine with either, but wanted to know ahead of time.

“Thanks for folding your name card, Miss Seimono. I’d say it depends on you all.  If the class has good, well-referenced discussions, I won’t need to assign many papers to know you understand . If  I feel like we need to review something, or you  just don't get it, I’ll assign tests and papers. A great question. Next.”

There was a flurry of name card folding, and Ichigo leaned back in her chair, smug. She was more than willing to carry the class on her back to get out of lengthy papers. She would talk about the books all day long. And to her delight, Mr. Hatake began class when the questions ran out.

“Let’s talk Ellison. 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' is a classic science fiction story. It was short enough that I knew  all of you would read it, and interesting enough to take  seriously . So, initial thoughts.” He leaned against his desk.

“Hi. Shisui Uchiha. We met this morning. This was  seriously fu— messed up.” He crossed his arms. Misaki, behind him and already craning to see the front, nodded in vehement agreement.

“Noted, and I agree, Shisui. Very graphic horror, for something so short. What did you guys think about Ted’s decision?”

Mr. Hatake nodded to someone and Ichigo heard Itachi’s smooth voice from behind her. “ I think he made an altruistic decision. He chose to exist alone, suffering whatever AM put him through, so his companions could be free. Even with Ellen— he could have  easily taken himself out instead, but he chose to free her from suffering.”

Ichigo’s hand shot up as soon as Itachi stopped speaking. Hatake’s eyebrows went up. “Counter point, I’m guessing. Go ahead, Miss Seimono.”

“I don’t know how _you_  bear existence with an opinion that  deeply incorrect.” There were gasps of shock, but she continued, fired up, “There wasn’t much altruism about it.  I think Ted consoled himself by thinking that he did it for them, but he’s a prime example of an unstable narrator. Not that long before the murders, he's convinced that everyone hates him thanks to AM’s tampering.”

“A bit of ad hominem there, Seimono, but you’re not the one on the debate team. Itachi, your defense?” 

“There’s no concrete evidence that AM did tamper with Ted, and he claims to have been calm when he decided to kill them.  He saw death as the only escape, but knew that AM would tamper with their suicide attempts, so they couldn't get out that way . He saw the stalactites and moved  quickly to thwart AM, knowing he was dooming himself. Altruism.” Itachi’s voice was calm, but Ichigo could read enthusiasm under the surface. Shisui had been right. This  _ was _ the nerd corner, and they _did_  get along.

“Ted views everyone with clear jealousy and dislike, and only realizes murder is an option after AM fills his mind with pure hatred . He doesn’t think AM tampered with him because AM leaves no evidence. We don’t even know how long the murders took— Ted’s thoughts of time passing are subjective the entire story. Towards the end, he  explicitly mentions that AM has been messing with his perception of time. 

“I wouldn’t call it altruism, but I wouldn’t call it an act of passion either. Ted  was manipulated so he could suffer even more at AM’s hands. And that’s without even going into the significance of his acts next to AM’s. I can see how you’d read Ted that way, but he  just isn’t a heroic character in my eyes.” At some point she’d turned around to speak to Itachi face to face, but she hadn’t noticed his smile. It was wider than before. She sat straight forward again, a little flustered. She hadn't meant to talk so much.

“Anything else, Itachi? Or will you cede?” Mr. Hatake seemed invested. Itachi must have shaken his head, because he moved on. “Alright, that’s the kind of discussions I’d like to have in here. Thank you to the two of you for providing a good example. I’d love to hear what everyone else thinks.”

They covered  nearly every detail of the story, the other students nitpicking each other and the text .  When they couldn’t come up with any more, Hatake ended class early with a smile that creased his eyes and a “Good job, everyone .”

Ichigo had enjoyed every minute of it.  She packed her things and walked towards the front to meet up with Misaki, but their teacher stopped her with a “Miss Seimono .”

“What is it, Mr. Hatake?” Was it the way she had called out Itachi? She hadn’t apologized and she  probably should have. He was talking with Kobayashi near his seat.

“Have you considered joining the Debate Club? I oversee it, and Itachi is the captain this year. Miss Kobayashi is a member as well. We could use more spirited speakers like you. More speakers in general, to be honest, since Miss Nao quit last year and the others graduated." His eyes were still creased into happy little lines.

Ichigo chewed her lip. “I don’t think it’s for me. I can only talk like that about things I care about. I’m not very good with speeches.”

“That’s a shame. We could  really use someone like you. Oh well, I’m sure Itachi will bring in some new members somehow.” He smiled. “Excellent work today.” 

“Thanks.” She found her way over to Misaki, who was telling a story to Shisui and a few others with animated gestures. She wasn't even going to try and talk to Itachi with Kobayashi all over him like that. 

“So then, we’re all in the pool, and Ichigo—”

“Whoa, hey, don’t go telling stories about me behind my back! This can’t have been a good one.” She knew where Misaki was going.

“It’s the underwater darts story! How could I pass it up?” Her smile was gigantic. Ichigo sighed. Not a moment for the highlight reel.

“Alright. But only if I get to tell the one about the jello shot contest.”

“Okay, so, we’re in the pool and Ichigo's trashed, and she paddles over and goes, ‘Misaki, why can’t we play darts underwater?  I want an underwater dart competition.’ I felt the buzz too, so the physics didn’t seem like a problem, let alone anything else about it . I'm into it, and we get to work." Misaki's Ichigo impression was  nearly dead on, if a little unkind. Ichigo felt herself start to blush. 

"We managed to velcro a dartboard to the wall of the pool somehow and  just as we're about to sit on the bottom and try it, Hiyomi comes out . She didn’t want us to  be disappointed when we realized it wouldn't work, so she took all the darts and hid them in her purse. Ichigo saw her do it but looked for them for two whole hours!” Misaki laughed and the others joined in, Ichigo sparing a laugh at her expense. She was about to get her revenge when the bell rang.

“Guess I’ll have to tell you guys about the jello shots tomorrow!” Ichigo grinned and hustled out with the others, turning towards government and politics. She was glad she wasn’t taking the advanced course, but had a feeling Mr. Sarutobi would be brutal regardless.

“Hey, Ichigo. Looks like we have this class together too.” Shisui caught up with her, his long strides  easily matching her pace. 

“It sounds like we dodged a bullet. Misaki and Hiyomi looked awful after the advanced class this morning. You think he’s going to put us through hell?”

“I don’t know. I hope not. Itachi looked a little stressed, and that’s saying something. Speaking of which, you went _in_  on him in Lit! What was all that about?” Shisui seemed impressed.

“He was wrong.” Ichigo shrugged. “And Hatake said if we discuss a lot in class we won’t have to write so many papers.”

“Still, you  literally told him he shouldn’t want to live. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so interested in a discussion, though.” Shisui scratched at the stubble on his chin.

“Well, that was a little harsh… I should  probably apologize to him, huh?” Ichigo blushed. Shisui nodded, and they chatted about the summer until they reached the classroom. Ichigo slipped into the back to sit next to Konan.

“What’s got you so flustered? Was Literature class that good?” 

“It was great! But I said the worst thing…” She waited for Konan to ask. If she could avoid confessing to her idiocy, Ichigo would. 

“Misaki gave us a play-by-play. You  really told the Student Council President that he should hate himself, huh?” Konan threw her head back and laughed, a rich (if rude) sound.

“Yeah. That has to be the worst first impression I’ve ever had. And he’s going to be sitting behind me all year.” Ichigo stared at the desk, holding her head. She had to start watching her mouth. At least he was behind her, so she didn't have to look at him all the time and feel embarrassed.

“I don’t know.  Maybe you crushed his spirit so hard he’ll drop the class,” Konan replied in a sarcastic monotone. Ichigo let her head hit the desk.

“Even worse, Mr. Hatake asked me after class if I’d join the debate team. Like… I go in on the captain and you think I want to spend  more time with him? Not to mention Kobayashi’s on it too… I can't even imagine how much I'd hate it.”

Konan started to make a snarky comment but Mr. Sarutobi held his hands up to start class. “Welcome to Government and Politics Honors. I am Asuma Sarutobi, and I’ll be your teacher. We’re going to start by defining government…”

Ichigo and Konan whipped out their notebooks. Yep.  Just like the college-level. What a pain in the ass. She'd have to write outlines if she had any hope of keeping up. After  nearly an hour, Asuma finally stopped, and everyone got to shake out their hands. Ichigo and Konan exchanged horrified stares. If Hiyomi’s class had been worse, they didn’t know how they’d make it through the year.

“I  really hope Ms. Mitarashi doesn’t make us take notes. My hand is cramping so bad.” Ichigo pouted.

“I doubt she will. Ha— Everyone I knew who took her class last year loved it. She’ll probably set something on fire or cause an explosion. She’s supposedly really cool.” Konan stretched her hand with a crackle of joints.

“Sick. Either way, it can’t be worse than this was.”

They walked out together, Shisui catching up once again. “I must be lucky if I’m spending half of my day with you, Ichigo.  Maybe it’s a sign.”

“A sign of what, exactly?” Ichigo rolled her eyes.

“A sign that we should be something, of course.” Shisui grinned and threw his arms around her and Konan’s shoulders. How had he slipped between them?

“If by 'something', you mean friends by the narrowest possible definition, then  absolutely . Let’s be non-acquaintances.” She rolled his arm off of her shoulders. They were already friends— had to be, after crossing paths at so many parties— but they usually joked this way. Shisui would flirt with her or tease her, and Ichigo would say the cruelest thing that came to mind.  Then again,  she ruminated,  Shisui wouldn't be a bad rebound. 

“You know I don't mean  just friends. Unless you’re still seeing Inuzuka? How is she, by the way?” He persisted, making Konan move away with an eye roll.

“I’m… not. I have no idea, to be honest.” Ichigo slowed down a little bit, thoughts sinking.

“Oh. I didn’t realize it was a sore spot. I’m sorry, Ichigo.  Seriously .” Shisui stopped in front of her and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Despite the playful flirting, his concern seemed genuine.  _ Another point to rebound. _

“It’s not. You surprised me, that’s all. I’m not ready for anything serious right now. I'll rebound soon, I'm sure.” _Maybe with you_ . She faked a smile and started walking towards class again, rushing to catch up with Konan. Shisui murmured something about his locker and walked away.

“You good?”

“Yeah. He caught me off guard, but I'm good. Let’s go watch some explosions.” She chewed her lip. Ichigo wasn’t going to think about Hana. It wasn’t going to happen. She’d thought she was fine— she hadn’t thought about Hana in like a week, at least. But Ichigo hadn’t planned for the entire student body asking about it. 

She should have expected it, though. She had disappeared for half the summer. She’d been distant. Hell, she should have known people would  be interested because they’d been two girls dating. And Hana had been pretty popular,  just like her. And everyone had seen Ichigo chasing after her, falling for her like an idiot. Fuck. She was such an idiot. Complete and utter trash.

“Right, Ichigo?” Three pairs of eyes looked to her  expectantly .

“Sorry, what?” Ichigo wasn't paying any attention to her friends' conversation. She didn't even remember following Konan in or sitting down.

“We were talking about Sarutobi. He can’t  possibly keep it up all year, right? He’ll run out of material in like, a month that way,” Misaki summarized.

“Oh. Yeah, for sure.  I think he’s trying to scare people out of the advanced class, and as for us…  Maybe scaring us into silence.” She shrugged. She hoped Misaki was right and Mr. Sarutobi would ease up before her arm fell off.

“I don’t know, there’s a lot of history he could cover." Hiyomi shifted in her seat. The four of them shared anxious looks. Hiyomi started to say something else, but Ms. Mitarashi threw the door open and marched in.

"I'm Anko Mitarashi and welcome to Advanced Chemistry, seniors." She added a small lump of metal to a tub of water, and it immediately started hissing, casting a pink flame. Ichigo  was captivated . It spat sparks for a little bit before exploding into smaller chunks, which shot out their own sparks.

"As exciting as those explosions are, the school board decided that I can't have you perform the reactions yourselves . I guess they're worried one of you trust fund babies would singe an eyebrow and sue the pants off me." She sighed. 

"That was sodium and water, a basic reaction. Sodium's an alkali metal, so it only has one spare electron and gets pretty pissed when you add it to water. The reaction produces harmless hydrogen gas and sodium hydroxide, aka lye. Very flashy looks, not a lot of results.  Not unlike some of you all, I'd expect." Ichigo could have sworn Mitarashi was looking at her. She almost regretted her outfit. Almost.

"We'll be getting into subjects quite a bit more complicated than hydrogen and lye, but not today. Each group, send a member up to grab these handouts, and we can chat about my plans for the year. I don't plan on taking it easy on you, but  I think we'll have fun." She finished her speech and leaned against the whiteboard with a grin.

Ichigo could still feel her friends' eyes, and got up to grab the papers without complaining. Their table was near the back of the lab, so she ended up last in line. Mitarashi was definitely watching her. Was it a dress code thing? Or a hair thing? Enough teachers had thought her hair wasn't natural last year.

"You're Seimono, right?" The teacher addressed her in a lower voice when Ichigo finally made it to the front.

"Yeah, Ichigo Seimono. Nice to meet you, Ms. Mitarashi." She ducked her head. Four each of each handout… why were there so many packets? If she got away before Mitarashi could say anything, she could claim ignorance of dress code.

"I was  really sad to hear about your dad. Takeharu was a good man. Gave me my first job after college." Her eyes darkened. Oh. Ichigo hadn't dealt with this sort of situation in a while. She thought she was free of condolences. Of reminders.

"Thank you. I appreciate that." The response rolled off of her tongue  automatically , as though time hadn't passed. She swallowed, and if her hands moved a little faster picking up packets, Ms. Mitarashi didn't comment on it. Instead, she was silent, letting Ichigo scurry back to her table as  quickly as she could get away with. 

Her friends didn't notice her discomfort, and Ichigo was able to shake it off after a few minutes.  They covered the syllabus with time to spare, so Mitarashi struck up a conversation because she "didn't feel like teaching" . It was a refreshing change of pace after Sarutobi's lecture.  She picked on Shisui and Hiyomi, who took her physics class last year, and tried to learn everyone else's names . Despite this, she forgot to record attendance until right before dismissal.  Attendance was  wildly more difficult with students forming a mob by the door, and Ichigo heard her swearing as she tried to figure it out .

All things considered, it was a good first day. At least, that was what Ichigo told herself as she waited to leave the parking lot. She was willing to tell herself anything to avoid laying on the horn. She'd  nearly relaxed when she pulled into the garage, but the sight of her mother's Audi tensed her back up. 

Her mother wasn't home when Ichigo left that morning— she'd assumed she was away on business.  But the car was back, and that meant her mother was sleeping off jet lag; or, worse, lying in wait, prepared to squeeze out every last detail about her day . She took a few deep breaths before she headed inside; Ichigo had a feeling she'd need them.

Tsuya Asata (she never took the Seimono name, and what a blessing that turned out to be, with her husband six feet under and  so young, too ) was an imposing figure to most; to Ichigo, she was  merely an obstacle . She was imposing, despite her small stature.  Her dark hair was always swept into a flawless chignon, her nails always manicured, her outfits always fashionable . Ichigo sometimes wondered if her mother had ever made a mistake. She  certainly didn't accept them in her daughter. She'd concluded that Tsuya didn't have the luxury of human error.

"Welcome home, Ichigo. How was your day?" Her business voice. Cold, impersonal. An ice sculpture trying to pass as a mother.

"It was… good, I guess." She stopped in the den, standing opposite her mother with her bag hanging off of one shoulder.

"How are your classes?" 

"Good.  I think I'll like my Advanced Literature course. When did you get home?"  _ Was it when you realized it was my first day? Or did an assistant have to tell you? _

"My flight arrived around eight. What about the psychology? You  certainly spent a while reading about it this summer." No extraneous details. Ichigo didn't even know where her mother had been this time.

"It seems like I may have read too much. I'm familiar with everything on the syllabus. We'll get our textbooks tomorrow, but I think I might be bored after all. Where did you go, again?" If she'd even told Ichigo in the first place.

"Wind Country. I had meetings with a new supplier. How are your friends? Misaki, Hiyoko? ...That's not right, is it?" Her voice fell near the end.

"Hiyomi, mom. Hiyomi Watanabe. And she's doing well. So are Misaki and Konan. We don't have as many classes together as last year, but it should be fine."  _ Please stop asking questions. We both know you don't care. _

"Hm. Did you meet anyone new?  Maybe a crush to take your mind off—" Ichigo couldn't bear to hear the name again today.

"I met some new people, but I'm not interested in anyone, not  really .  Maybe I'll go solo for a while." 

"That's a shame. And you still haven't heard from her?" 

"Nope. She hadn't said anything when you asked last week, and she hasn't since. Can I go upstairs now?" 

"Sure. Let me know when you're hungry, we'll order in. And watch the attitude."  Ichigo couldn't decide whether it was worse when the ice sculpture pretended to care, or when she pretended to parent . She gave her mother a sharp nod and escaped to her room.

Dinner was more of the same— Questions continued over curry, and Tsuya almost seemed interested . Almost.

"There was one thing, though." She pushed the last few bits of carrot around her plate. 

"Hm?" Her mother looked ready to get up, but stilled.

"My chemistry teacher, Ms. Mitarashi… she said Dad gave her her first job out of college. She said he was wonderful and she was sad when… You know." The words felt thick as they left her mouth.  _ When your heart froze over. _

"Oh." That one syllable held more emotion than her mother had shown all day. But as  quickly as the ice broke, it froze again. "She must have been in the pharmaceutical company. There's a lab in the area. That was kind of her to say though, I hope you thanked her."

"I did. I  just didn't expect it, that's all. I never expect others to miss him anymore." She cast her eyes back down to her plate.

"Of course they miss him.  Just like we do. But, we have to remind ourselves he's in a better place now, and soldier on. Right?"

"Yeah. You're right," she agreed. They rose and took their plates out and didn't say anymore, but Ichigo felt bitter. When her father had gone to that better place, he'd taken his wife with him— leaving only a cold imitation behind.


	3. New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi deals with myriad frustrations, and ruminates on his romantic history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we get to see Itachi's point of view! I generally try not to change POV a lot, so you'll probably get one or two chapters of Itachi, then back to Ichigo, and so on.

Itachi loved his brother. Adored him, from the moment his mother placed baby Sasuke in his arms. But mornings like this made it difficult. Sasuke had been in the bathroom for 48 minutes now, by his last count. Itachi still needed to shower, and they had 22— make that 21— minutes until they had to leave, if they had to pick up Naruto too. He didn't want to pick the blonde screwball up, but Sasuke refused to get in the car otherwise.

Sasuke knew that giving him rides was a condition for Itachi to have a car, and he didn't hesitate to twist it in his favor. He wasn't sure how his baby brother had out-negotiated him. When Itachi insisted they had to leave early (he was not about to wait half an hour to park), Sasuke made Naruto a condition. He supposed it was fair, since he was already in the neighborhood. And Mrs. Uzumaki was kind enough to give Sasuke a ride home when Itachi couldn't, but... Itachi just wanted some quiet in the mornings.

"Sasuke, hurry up! What are you doing in there?" He pounded on the door. If his brother took five more minutes, Itachi would force the door open. His hair felt way too greasy for any other course of action.

"I'm almost done! Go use the downstairs bathroom if you need it so bad!." He could hear Sasuke scowling even through the door. He wasn't sure when Sasuke had stopped being a sweet baby angel, but fingered puberty as the culprit.

"I need to shower. You go downstairs. We have... 19 minutes before we have to go."

"Just shower tonight, Itachi!" Screw it. Itachi turned sideways and threw his shoulder into the door. It popped open without much resistance, latch weakened from previous squabbles. It wasn't the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Sasuke was trying to style his hair and it looked terrible. A tub of gel sat open on the counter and his brother had evidently used way too much. The front was fine, but the back… Itachi understood why he wasn't willing to come out. But because Itachi loved his brother, he helped him fix it. Well, salvage it, maybe. It was still bad, but Itachi felt less inclined to laugh at him.

They weren't early that day. But that was okay. Naruto's jokes were actually funny for once, centered around Sasuke's new look. Itachi didn't think he had much paperwork yet, so he spent his open period in the library. He was able to throw together an outline for Advanced Government, and felt prepared.  It wasn't much help— Mr. Sarutobi moved even faster than the day before, filling the class with dread. Itachi liked history, sure, but he didn't even have time to process what he was writing. Sarutobi finished his lecture with five minutes to spare. Itachi shared a horrified stare with Misaki Nao, but lacked the energy to cross the room and talk to her.

She quit the Debate Team last semester, but Itachi was willing to bargain just about anything to get her to come back. At the moment, they had three members: Itachi, Rie Kobayashi, and Neji Hyuga. They'd get one or two new people for sure: overachieving freshmen, or upperclassmen looking to pad college applications. But they needed six members by the end of the week or Itachi would have to reject his own paperwork— school rules didn't allow clubs any smaller. Reforming the Debate Team would be a pain in the neck, even if Itachi did all the paperwork. Misaki had been a talented member of the team, and he didn't understand why she quit.

Maybe he should ask Hiyomi to see if she was still interested. She was sitting right behind him, after all. Before he could turn to talk to her, she poked his shoulder.

"Itachi, are we still meeting in the Student Council office after school today? It was on the list, but you didn't mention it yesterday morning." Hiyomi was the Student Council Treasurer, and Itachi knew she was even more organized than he was. She usually poked him about meetings or plans.

"You're right, I forgot to say so. I don't think Hyuga needs to be there, so I'll see if I can get Shisui to come help. We need to finish planning the events for next week," he explained.

"Aah, I see. When I asked Shisui about it last period he told me he couldn't attend if there was a meeting today. He said he had a concert choir thing." She twisted the ends of her hair, looking down at her planner. He swore she had it regimented to the minute.

"Oh. I guess I could do it myself, if you'd rather skip this one." Itachi didn't want to, but he could see Hiyomi's apprehension.

"No, it's fine. I wouldn't want to stick you with all the work. I'll be there, then. After school." She still wouldn't look him in the eyes. Itachi made a mental note to try and address that later, if he had the willpower.

"Thank you. See you then." They left in opposing directions, Hiyomi towards the gym with Misaki in tow. He'd have to talk to her in Lit.

Last year when Itachi made his schedule, Shisui recommended Mitarashi's physics course, and he could see why. After shooting an arrow over their heads without warning, Ms. Mitarashi spent most of class complaining about the school board. When she realized Itachi was Student Council President, she complained directly to him. He tried to decline her call to action; personally, he thought the board's safety concerns were well-founded. But, he was sure today would be more of the same.

When Mitarashi actually started teaching, he had to hold in a sigh of relief. It was an interesting class, and she wandered enough over the notes that Itachi's wrist could rest. His only regret was not taking the course with Shisui— without friends to sit with, he was stuck at a table with three junior girls. When they weren't texting each other from less than a foot apart, he could feel eyes burning into him. It made him wish he'd opted for Advanced Chemistry instead.

Itachi was no stranger to girls liking him. In fact, he was painfully aware of his popularity with his peers. He'd received confessions from so many people that he'd actually lost count. And, up until spring of last year, he'd accepted every single one. He hadn't been able to say no, couldn't bring himself to upset anyone. He had gone on dates with the majority of the girls in his graduating class, let alone the others. And every time, he'd let himself hope.

But on every single one of those dates, he hadn't felt a thing. He wanted to understand it, to get the feeling that everyone told him they had. He could acknowledge someone was good-looking, or funny, or intelligent. He had baser desires that he usually ignored. But, he never got it. Never had a crush that made him weak. The closest thing Itachi had ever felt to butterflies was the excitement when he was elected Student Council President. He wanted to _like_ someone, already. Even Hiyomi, the classmate he related to most, had told him she liked him their freshman year. Their relationship had been an unmitigated disaster that Itachi was still guilty about. She said it was fine, they were okay, but she still kept him at a distance.

He ruminated on his past relationships all through lunch. He couldn't let Sasuke lead people on like he had; Itachi had thought it would _click_ for him, but it never did. Last semester, he realized how cruel he was and vowed to start turning girls down. Regardless, Hiyomi was long overdue a real apology. He set aside his lunch and got to work. If Itachi did the majority of the work they needed now, he'd have more time to talk to Hiyomi after school.

He headed to Lit a little early, books in tow and mind still whirling with apologies and obligations. He wanted a chance to talk to Mr. Hatake, and got it— his teacher and debate coach was leaning back in his chair, book in hand.

"Good afternoon, Itachi."

"Good afternoon. Do you have a minute?"

"I have four. What can I do for you?" He set his book down. Was there another book inside the cover? Itachi tried to ignore it. He gave up on understanding Mr. Hatake a long time ago.

"We need more members for Debate or we won't be able to remain a club. Do you know any students who might be interested?" He had six classes, there had to be _someone_.

"Hmm… Yesterday, I asked Miss Seimono if she'd like to join. She declined. Maybe you could get your little brother? Or see if Misaki will come back?"

Itachi grimaced. "I doubt it. I don't think Sasuke likes that kind of thing. Could you tell your classes about the club?"

"Sure. I'll leave this class to you and Rie, but I'll tell the freshmen. Anything else?" He reached for his book (books?) again.

"That's all. Our first meeting is Friday afternoon, if you're okay with it. Thanks, Mr. Hatake." Itachi took a seat and let his mind wander again. He could ask Sasuke, true, but he always seemed to be on the bad end of his brother's bargains. Itachi wasn't sure how much more he had to give up, and didn't want to find out.

He'd try and get Misaki to come back to the team. If he got Misaki in the club, maybe Ichigo Seimono would change her mind. He was pretty sure they were friends. She was a surprisingly good opponent yesterday. All he'd ever heard was that she was a party girl; he saw her drunk at parties when he picked up Shisui over the summer. Not to mention, everyone heard about the Suzuki thing last year.

Suffice it to say, he wasn't prepared for her to whirl on him and tell him exactly what she thought of his opinions. He enjoyed her intelligence and… boldness? Itachi could call it that. He almost felt like he owed her an apology, too— he saw she was pretty and didn't try and see past it. It was no wonder she didn't want to join the Debate Team if she thought he was a dick.

That settled it. He'd make a good impression on Seimono and do what it took to get Misaki to come back to Debate. If he got both of them to join, they'd have five members and be able to stay, if only on probation. Then, he could recruit from the underclassmen and they'd be fine. He'd start on Seimono when she came in, and talk to Misaki after class.

They arrived laughing together, Shisui not far behind. Before he could even greet her, Ichigo ducked her head.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I got a little ahead of myself. I shouldn't have been so rude," she apologized, voice barely higher than a murmur. Her cheeks were nearly brighter than her hair.

Itachi rubbed the back of his neck. "It's fine. I wasn't offended, so don't worry about it. I was more interested in what you had to say about the story."

"It was pretty bad, though. I need to watch my tongue more." She bit her lip. For someone who looked (and rumor had it acted) like a punk, she seemed very concerned about his feelings. The embarrassed blush didn't fit with the leather jacket. Itachi was intrigued.

"Well, other than that part, it was a good argument. Apology accepted, Seimono." He smiled at her in what he hoped was a charming way.

"Call me Ichigo." She returned it with one far more beguiling. There was a glint in her eyes that Itachi didn't entirely understand. Something like mischief (and even that didn't seem apt) danced behind her purple irises.

"Ichigo, then." The name felt weird on his tongue. She nodded, satisfied, and turned to face the front.

Mr. Hatake began class but Itachi dwelled on the conversation. Ichigo was… interesting. There was something about her that didn't add up. Maybe that's why she was so popular— everyone wanted to know what that esoteric bit of Ichigo really was. What secret created that dissonance between persona and person? Then again, he was probably overthinking it. It wasn't that complicated.

True to her word, Ichigo didn't insult him during class. Not that she had the opportunity; Mr. Hatake decided to lecture about narrative tone. Itachi got up to talk to Misaki when class ended, but Rie Kobayashi cut him off before he had the chance.

"Itachi!" She grinned at him, blocking his way with her body. "I had the best idea for Debate!"

He had an idea too— convincing Misaki to come back— but it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon.

"What is it, Rie? Anything that will bring in more members is a great idea right now," he replied, smiling politely. He didn't have time for this.

"Well… I was thinking, we have auditions for Concert Choir, and re-auditions, of course, for people like me who are already in the ensemble—"

"And?" Itachi wasn't going to have a chance to talk to Misaki today if he let Rie ramble on like usual.

"And I'll be there, of course, with Shisui, and I was thinking I could ask people if they would want to join Debate. You know, whether they get in the ensemble or not. If you're confident enough to sing in front of people, public speaking isn't that big of a problem for you. And like, that way, the people who weren't good enough for Concert Choir have _something_ to do after school."

That was... actually a pretty good idea. "Sounds great, Rie. Would you text me if anyone wants to join? Or, I guess you could send them to the Student Council office. I'll be there this afternoon."

"Yeah, I'll text you. Glad to help, Captain!" She winked at him and jokingly saluted.

"And if you see him when he's done, could you send Shisui over my way? There's too much work for just Hiyomi and I." He smiled again, a little more genuine this time.

"Of course. And if you guys really need help, I could always pop over," she offered, crossing an arm over to grab the other. "The other officers can totally handle it on their own."

"That's okay. You're the President, you should be there for auditions. And I know you have your own to worry about, too. We'll get through it all, even if Shisui gets away."

That was nice of her, but Itachi didn't want to deal with both girls at the same time. Rie had made it clear on several occasions that she disliked Hiyomi; and while Hiyomi hadn't said it, Itachi could tell the feeling was mutual. Even imagining the two of them trying to work together gave him a headache.

Itachi tried to reach Misaki again, but realized she was arguing with Ichigo in the middle of a clump of people.

"That wasn't what happened at all! You're such an ass sometimes!" Itachi craned his neck and caught a glimpse of Misaki stomping to emphasize her point. What was Ichigo saying that had her so riled up?

"Okay, okay, fine. So we finished the first tray, and Nagano— Isn't he such a nice guy? Always lets us wreck his house— Anyway, Nagano did _not_ expect this out of Misaki. He brings over the next tray and kneels right in front of her with it! Which was so unfair, and obviously the reason she won, but—" Ichigo was cut off again. She laughed at Misaki.

"I beat you by six! You're so full of it! Ugh! Shisui, you were there. You tell the story. I can't trust Ichigo not to twist it," Misaki sniffed. She was faking anger, but she and Ichigo were both grinning.

"Well, how I remember it, we all won, because you guys jumped in the pool in your underwear not long after the second tray." Shisui leered, raising his eyebrows, and both girls punched his shoulders.

"I don't remember that, Misaki. Do you?" The girls shared a conspiratorial look.

"I don't, Ichigo. I remember Shisui jumping in the pool in _his_ underwear, though," Misaki corroborated with a snicker.

"Aah, that was a different party. Ladies, please." Itachi's cousin and best friend waved his hands nervously.

"Mm, something about being so bad at poker that he was out of clothes six hands in? At least we were good at something. You know, I think I might have a picture..." Ichigo's crimson lips pulled into an evil smirk, and she pulled her bag open.

"That— is— neither— true— or necessary— Miss Seimono," Shisui protested, words punctuated by playful attempts to steal Ichigo's phone. He scanned the crowd, looking for some sort of salvation. Their eyes met and Itachi sighed.

"Itachi, when you came to get me from that party, didn't I tell you I won for a while until they started cheating?" The crowd parted, and Itachi soon found himself in the action. What to say? He couldn't remember, so it was a question of who to lie for. Well, Shisui would understand. It was for the good of the Debate Team.

"Shisui, you said about three words and vomited out the window of my car. I don't think any of them were about winning."

Their classmates laughed again, and Shisui pretended to be heartbroken, dropping to his knees. "How could you do me like this, Itachi?"

He didn't reply— the bell stole his chance— and Itachi caught Ichigo giving him that look again before they went their separate ways. What was it, in her expression? He wanted her to keep looking at him that way, so he had a chance to figure it out. What made her eyes sparkle that way, and why did it make Itachi want to smile?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lowkey playing fast and dirty with ages and characters, but considering there's so many OCs, I doubt it matters.


	4. I Need to Know

Itachi's last two classes flew by as quickly as piles of notes could. The only break from the doldrum was the brief confirmation that yes, there was a freshman in his Advanced Calculus class, and no, it wasn't a mistake. Shikamaru Nara was their teacher's son, and apparently a genius. Judging by what he gathered from Shikamaru's mumbles next to him (mostly 'troublesome-s' and "what a pain in the-s') he wasn't happy about it, either. Halfway through class, he put his head down and went to sleep. If Itachi thought he could get away with it, he would have too.

Instead, he took especially detailed notes and offered them to Shikamaru when class ended. The freshman declined, saying he wouldn't copy the notes even if he took them. Itachi was still mulling over Shikamaru when he reached the office. Hiyomi leaned against the wall, hands clasped around the bottom of her messenger bag.

"It's locked. You have the keys, right?" The look in her eyes said she wished he didn't.

"Yeah. I guess I locked up after lunch without thinking about it." He unlocked the door and they headed in, tension already mounting. Hiyomi immediately began sorting through paperwork, eager to finish as quickly as possible. It didn't take long for her to slow down— even if Itachi wasn't as organized as she was, he was still neat.

"Wait, this is almost all done. Unless there's something I'm missing?" Her hands started to tremble and she covered them with the sleeves of her cardigan.

"I did most of it during lunch. I thought that we could finish up and talk, maybe? About everything that happened?" He didn't mean to sound so uncertain.

"I told you it was fine, Itachi. It's okay." She crossed one arm to grab the other. 

"It's not, though. I never apologized to you the way you deserved. If we were actually okay, you wouldn't be so uncomfortable right now."

"I'm just cold. It's always so cold in here." She cast her gaze to the floor.

"...I don't think that's true. You're wearing that heavy sweater, after all. I just… I need to make amends to you or I won't feel alright with myself." Itachi took a deep breath to center himself and began the apology he'd thought of during lunch.

"Hiyomi, I led you on. When you confessed your feelings to me, I couldn't bring myself to say no to you. I thought that maybe it would work out, even if I didn't feel that way about you right then. That was wrong of me, and I caused you a lot of unnecessary pain." He swallowed, but steeled himself. He had to continue.

"You were right to say I was unfeeling. I think that's the best description there is. But that doesn't excuse the way I treated you. Or how my family treated you, while we were dating. I don't know how I could ever make it up to you. If there's anything I could do to make you forgive me, I'll do it. Not that you have to forgive me, um..." He trailed off. If Hiyomi had been the nervous one before, she had nothing on how Itachi felt now. 

"Thank you. I appreciate the apology," Hiyomi replied. An cold edge crept into her voice that Itachi had never heard before. She grabbed the work Itachi had left undone and took a seat, pulling out a pen. Itachi had expected tears, awkwardness, even anger… he hadn't planned for ice. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he just looked over what he did at lunch.

After a five-minute eon, Hiyomi spoke again, still in that clipped tone, "Itachi."

"Hm?"  

"I forgave you a long time ago. I just wish you'd treat me like a normal person. Like a friend, even, instead of something to pour your guilt into. I don't like being alone with you anymore because you always bring it back around to that. I wish we could move on." She didn't even look up. That was good, since it meant she didn't see his shocked face.

"Oh. I- Okay." What else could Itachi say to that? The first words that jumped to his lips were 'I'm sorry', but Hiyomi had just made it clear that that wasn't something she wanted to hear.

"Before we do, though, I have one question for you."

"Sure, go ahead." He stumbled over the phrase even as it tumbled from his mouth.

"Was there ever a moment where you thought it would work out? A moment where you thought you did actually like me that way? I… I need to know." Her voice was softer now, and Itachi noticed the beginning of a blush on her cheeks.

It was a hard question. Obviously, he'd gone into it with hopes of developing feelings for her. He'd always been that way. But a moment where he actually felt something?

"Well… I guess… The closest time was on our first date."

"Oh, at the amusement park?" She tapped the pen against her lips, thoughtful.

"It was after that. When we were at the station I kept thinking about how I wished we could spend more time together. And then you kissed me."

"And?"

"And… I didn't know what to say or do so I just froze. I liked it, but I'm pretty sure I made you think the opposite," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Hiyomi didn't respond. He heard a clatter and looked over. She was brilliantly red, fingers pressed to her lips, pen rolling across the table. When she noticed his stare, Hiyomi flushed even harder. He averted his eyes, his cheeks heating as well.

"That was my first kiss, you know," she replied after a very long pause. She'd started to calm the blush, but clasped her hands together lest they start shaking again.

"It was mine too," Itachi confessed. He didn't know why he felt so weird about it. It had been an awkward kiss, but he had a feeling all kisses were awkward.

"Well, that explains the freezing up," she mused.

"It does." He tried to smile, but still felt too embarrassed, so he just grimaced.

"Thanks, then. For being my first kiss. And giving me yours. And for trying to like me. I always wondered about that day. If I had just been blinded by how much I liked you, and projected it on you." She picked her pen back up and looked back down.

"The same to you then. And you… weren't, I guess. Not completely. I really hoped I'd like you, you know."

"I know."

"Can I ask you something now?" He reached over and took a couple sheets from the bottom of Hiyomi's stack so he'd have something to do.

"Go for it, prez." Her smile was back and he was glad for it.

"What does it feel like when you have a crush on someone? I don't really know if you like anyone right now, but when you think of them, what's that like?" Itachi didn't think he would ever stop blushing, but he really was interested in her answer. When he asked Shisui… his answer had to have been bullshit.

"Hmm… When I think of her- er, them, it's a really bubbly feeling. Sometimes they smile at me and it's like my stomach drops out. But in a good way. And it's been different, over the years. When I liked you it felt kind of, I don't know. Obsessive? Like I had to adore you, if that makes sense. Maybe that was because everybody was doing it though, I don't know.

"But, with the person I like now… It's like… Sh- They're like a rose, I guess. The more I notice about them, the more their petals unfold, and the more beautiful they are to me." Hiyomi twiddled with her pen.

So, Shisui hadn't really been lying, then. And maybe something was wrong with Itachi, if he hadn't found someone that made him feel that way. He sighed. But something about Hiyomi's answer stuck out to him.

"Hiyomi, you like girls?" 

"I don't- Well, yes, I do, but I need to keep it a secret. My parents would never approve. So don't tell anyone, please. Very few people know, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Of course. Does the person you like know that you're bisexual? Or that you like them?" He was curious now.

"I'm gay, Itachi. You're the only guy I've ever had an inkling of a crush on, and since then it's been all girls. And no, to both. I know she would be fine with it, but I could never date a girl while I still live at home, so I don't even want to invite the possibility. I'll have to wait for college."

"Oh, okay. Sorry about that. I'll keep your secret. We're friends, right?" He smiled slightly.

"Of course. Now, about Spirit Week…" 

 

They got a lot done after that, even if the air was a little weird between the. Spirit Week was pretty much finalized. But, as he said goodbye to Hiyomi, Itachi felt a lingering curiosity. Shisui hadn't shown up, but neither did any of the students Rie said she'd send his way. Was Debate really that unpopular of an organization? Or was she swamped, unable to spare an extra word? He supposed the concert choir had been very popular last year… Itachi decided to head down there. Even if they didn't need any help, he could satisfy his curiosity and see what they were up to. 

The tableau he walked in on was not something he ever could have imagined. The choir room doors swung shut silently behind him, but every head swiveled towards him, with the exception of two. Shisui was in a vehement argument with the choir director, perched on top of the piano. Jiraiya was starting to raise his voice, and either didn't notice Itachi or didn't care.

"You wanna learn, Uchiha?! I can make you the best goddamn singer out there, but not if you don't listen! I don't want you in my ensemble! I'm not putting up with your punk ass any more than I have to. You're not auditioning."

"You need guys way too much to pass me up, and you know it! Without me, it'll just be Nagano and Aburame and whatever freshmen you force into it! Let me audition!" Shisui gesticulated wildly at the piano. The accompanist shrank against the piano, clearly uncomfortable.

"They've been at it for like an hour now. I've had plenty of time to talk to people about Debate, though. Some people were gonna go down to the Student Council office after their auditions, but as you can see…" Rie slipped out of the risers and joined him at the back of the room.

"Why doesn't he just audition everyone else, then argue with Shisui at the end?" Itachi asked.

"Shisui won't let him. Jiraiya tried to make me do it but the moment I started to sing, Shisui sang over me. So they went back to arguing. I think he should just let Shisui audition, already. They both know he will."

"Why is he so against it?" That was the part Itachi didn't get. Shisui was mischievous, sure, but he had never been a problem student in any class they'd shared.

"I guess he got sick of Shisui calling him a pervert. Shisui's not wrong, but it did tend to take time away from rehearsal. It's 'cause he writes those adult novels in his free time."

"If he's a pervert, why hasn't anyone reported him to the faculty?"

"Eh, he got warned once like a decade ago and hasn't done anything since. Principal Sarutobi knows him from way back, so he turns a blind eye. Jiraiya may be a lech, but he knows his stuff. We've scored straight superiors at State for like twenty years now. And the Concert Choir gets a lot of gigs, of course." Rie studied her nails.

"Still… You shouldn't let him leer at you like that."

"Honestly, Shisui is worse sometimes. Did you see the way he was with Seimono and Nao during Lit?" She scrunched up her nose.

"That's true." Itachi reflected on that. He knew Shisui had been joking— he had that kind of relationship with several girls who he knew wouldn't mind— but if a 50 year old teacher did that, it was a completely different ballpark. But he supposed he'd have to see it in action to make a real judgment.

"Okay, fine! Go ahead, Shisui, since I'd like to get home some time tonight. Blow us away, go on." Jiraiya finally threw up his hands in frustration and sat down, grabbing a clipboard. They both seemed to have a flair for the dramatic.

Shisui was talented; Itachi didn't know the name of the aria, but his cousin's voice glided through it like butter. Jiraiya hemmed and hawed and sighed, but didn't say anything constructive. No one clapped, so Itachi stopped himself before he could.

Rie leaned in and stood on tiptoes to whisper, "Now he'll do something modern, with his own style. I think he brought a guitar?"

"Oh. That makes sense. We finished up, so I'll leave after this— would you text me if there's anyone interested in Debate?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Thank you."

Shisui checked his tuning and began a song, fingers dancing over the guitar.

"When the world gets too heavy, put it on my back, I'll be your levy…" He recognized the song. It suited Shisui— when he sang, Itachi got chills. There was a plaintive note, a longing, to it that he didn't think he could ever emulate. When Shisui sang, Itachi stopped doubting what he'd said about crushes.

Shisui felt more singing a song than Itachi had kissing a girl. He'd never wished more for that to change. 


	5. Fireside

Wednesday morning brought rain and Ichigo arrived on campus slightly damp and mildly annoyed. It was bad enough that she was there so early, did it really have to be so wet when she'd spent over an hour straightening her hair? She scowled at herself in the rearview mirror. Whatever. With any luck, it would dry up by lunch. She did her best to pull her now hip-length hair into a passable bun and yanked on a hoodie from the back seat. Figures. Today was certain to be a bad day. The one time she decided to come in with her hair down… 

The parking lot was nearly empty. She saw a black sedan parked neatly near the front, and a few cars down from that was a blue hatchback she'd recognize anywhere. It looked like the driver was still inside too. She hustled over and knocked on the window. 

Hiyomi jolted like she'd been asleep and rolled it down. "You're here early. Good morning, Ichigo."

"Morning. Do you always hide in your car this early?" Ichigo wouldn't be here unless she had something to do, but she knew Hiyomi was much different.

"Well… No. I'm kind of avoiding someone, or I'd go in." She fidgeted. Ichigo could feel the rain getting heavier. She needed to go in if she wanted to avoid getting soaked. She looked around.

"Wanna talk about it? I promise I won't get your passenger seat  _ that _ wet." Ichigo's reason for being early could wait. Would wait a long time, if she could help it. Hiyomi nodded and Ichigo heard the car unlock. 

"So, what did the driver of the black sedan do that you're not going in? Do you need me to beat them up for you?" Ichigo offered, half joking.

"You don't have to. It's the prez. We had a really personal conversation yesterday and now I don't know how to act around him. So I thought I'd just wait for more people to show up so that I didn't have to interact with him. Brave, right?" Hiyomi scoffed at herself.

"Hmm. I've known the guy for about two days now, but I'd hazard a guess that he's the type that doesn't get personal unless he's talking to someone he really trusts. Or, if it's because of something you told him, he doesn't seem that judgmental." Ichigo could vouch for that at least, with how he'd treated her yesterday.

"It's a bit of both, I guess. I might not even see him, if I'm lucky, but the thought that I could is enough to keep me here." She drummed her fingers across her thigh. Ichigo took a second to take Hiyomi in. 

Her mint green lob was messier than usual, but it looked calculated. She'd traded her usual skirt and tights combo for black skinny jeans, and if she'd brought one of her many slouchy cardigans, it wasn't on her. Instead, Hiyomi had opted for an button-up, gold necklace glittering at the opening. And was she actually wearing eyeliner?

"Wait… Do you have a crush on him? Is that what this is? And Misaki thought I was gonna be the Uch—"  
"No!" Hiyomi blurted out. "I just thought I'd dress up a little today."

"Oh," Ichigo replied, placated, "I planned to, too. I forgot an umbrella though, so I'm all covered up for now."

"So, why are you here so early?" 

"I have to talk to Ibiki, but I really don't want to." Ichigo slumped against the seat. She really needed to go in soon if she wanted a good opportunity.

"Why? I thought you were really into psychology. You aren't going to drop the class, are you?" 

"I don't plan to, but…" She chewed her lip. 

"But?" Hiyomi pressed.

"But I kinda know everything on the syllabus and I don't want to relearn it." Flipping through the textbook last night had confirmed it. 

"How? Why? Since when? I remember how hard you studied for the pretest last year, but there's no way that was enough to retain the whole year's work."

"When Hana ghosted me, I borrowed some psych books from the public library to distract myself and I guess I went deeper than I should have."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know. I'm going to tell Ibiki though. I'll leave it up to him. I don't even know what I  _ want _ to do about it. That's why I don't want to go." Ichigo rolled her ankle with a bit of discomfort. Misaki must have been in front last; the seat was way too far up for Ichigo to sit without her legs crushing into the glove compartment.

"How about this? Let's go in together, and I'll be your moral support. Then, you can distract me from Itachi," Hiyomi suggested. 

"Sounds good. You're the best, Hiyomi." Ichigo grinned at her friend and caught a slight blush before Hiyomi shut off the car. She was so humble!

They hurried inside, shivering as the air conditioning hit them. Hiyomi followed Ichigo to her locker, then the restrooms, where she tried to set herself to sorts in the mirror. Magenta hair let down and coaxed into sleek curtains. Dress pulled back to order. Makeup checked once again, as though the drive to school could have ruined it. Everything seemed right. 

"How do I look?" Ichigo asked, turning to Hiyomi expectantly.

"You look gorgeous." The words fell out of her friend in a rush. Hiyomi's eyes darted over her again. "You haven't worn your hair like that since junior prom, right?"

"Yeah. It takes a really long time, so I don't ever feel like it. But my mom offered to do it for me last night, so…"

"So you let her instead of starting a fight. I read the group chat." Hiyomi smirked.

"Aa, sorry. I guess I did complain in there for a while last night." Ichigo blushed.

"I guess you'd better go talk to Ibiki. I'll wait by your locker, so find me after, okay?" She strode out, Ichigo following with far less enthusiasm. Time to face the music.

The classroom was empty, and Ichigo thought it was a blessing. No one was there to eavesdrop and turn the rumor mill. It turned out to be a curse, as her teacher had that much more room for his disbelief. And his anger.

"So you're trying to tell me that you, on some angsty teenage self-pity kick, read enough textbooks to gain a full understanding of the content I'm going to spend the next 9 months beating into you? That's the worst excuse I've ever heard from someone trying to drop my class late." Ibiki Morino's stern face looked even more intense when irritated. Ichigo shuffled her feet.

"I swear it's the truth. I don't even want to drop your class, if I don't have to. I really like psychology. I just was hoping you'd know what to do."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"Do you think I'd be here so early if I wasn't being serious? Mr. Morino—"

"Don't call me that."

"I got a perfect score on your pretest. Is it that much of a stretch to believe I'd know more than that?" Ichigo scowled, but otherwise did her best to keep her temper in check. Ibiki took a second to ruminate on her words.

"Okay. Here's what we're going to do. You'll come back here after school today and you'll take last year's final exam. You'll stick around for me to grade it, and when you fail— and you will fail, believe me— you'll tell me the real reason you're trying to drop the class, Seimono. And I mean today, only. This is your one chance to prove me wrong."

"Okay, sir. Thank you. I'll be here then." 

"Good. Now scram, class doesn't start for another 20 minutes."

Ichigo turned on her heel and stalked out, anger bubbling under the surface. She wasn't the type to quit a few days into a class, and her teacher's flippant attitude pissed her off. She approached him with good intentions and was treated like trash. She should have just kept her head down and gotten perfect scores on every test. Of course, with the way he'd just acted, Ichigo had a feeling Ibiki would have thought she was cheating. She clenched and unclenched her jaw.  _ He'll see. Oh, you're gonna fail my test. You're full of shit. I'd pass that damn test with my hands tied behind my back. _

She was so caught up in her outrage that she didn't look where she was going, and collided into a body. A tall, built body that didn't budge an inch. Shisui Uchiha blinked down at her, one hand clutching the shoulder of his backpack.

"Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning, Ichigo?" Normally, she'd be irritated by a comment like that, but the aptness of the comment made her smile.

"I… No one. Just something dumb that happened. Sorry for running into you, Shisui." She moved to pass him, but Shisui turned around to follow her. Well, he wasn't the Uchiha Hiyomi was trying to avoid, so it should be fine.

"Wanna tell me about it? I swear I'm a good listener."

"No, it's okay. I need to get over it, anyway." Hiyomi wasn't waiting at her locker anymore. Ichigo scowled again.

"That face doesn't read 'over it' at all, in case you were wondering." If Shisui's smirk got even a centimeter more smug, she'd tell him where he could stick it.

"Have you seen Hiyomi?" Ichigo scanned the hallway again.

"I think I saw her heading to Hatake's with Nao and your blue-haired friend. Was it her? 'Cause, I don't think I could take her out in a fight. Sorry." The smirk did get more smug, but Ichigo found it bearable when paired with the joke.

"Nope. I just thought she'd be here and she's not. Thanks for your help." Ichigo turned around and strutted away. Again, Shisui followed her.  
"Was there something you wanted?" Her temper was already on edge, she didn't need Shisui to make it worse.

"Just to tell you that you look very cute when you're angry." That fucking smirk.

"Bite me, Uchiha." Her tone was acerbic.

"Oh, I  _ would _ ." 

She had to bite her cheek to stop herself from swearing at him. A traitorous thought fleetingly resurfaced of him doing just that before she shut it down. She could rebound off him, but she'd save it for the weekend. In hopes of preserving that idea, she didn't give in to her temper.

"Anything else?" Ichigo tried to keep a level tone and a pleasant face. She didn't know how her mother managed to do it and be so cold at the same time, and wished that gene had passed on to her.

"Well… If you insist. Your hair is stunning straightened like that," he murmured, voice husky. If Ichigo wasn't acutely aware that he was playing with her, it would have been attractive. But they played the same games, so she saw through the facade and knew how to defuse it.

"Thanks. I know." She replied. They reached Hatake's room and she swept into her friend group without a moment's delay. Shisui sat nearby, but Konan's glare kept him from scooting the desk any closer.

"So, how did it go?" Hiyomi's smile was in place, but Ichigo could read anxiety in her posture.  _ Must have seen Itachi after all. _

"Pretty badly. I don't even want to go to class, it was that bad."

"But if you're talking about going, then he didn't give you a withdrawal slip. What are you gonna do?" Misaki tilted her head, curious.

"He wants me to come after school and take last year's final,  _ and _ stay while he grades it. He totally thinks I'm going to fail, so I don't know what he's gonna do when I pass." Ichigo's pride still smarted, but Shisui's antics had lessened her irritation.

"Probably have a stroke. Then claim you cheated. Your hair looks nice." Konan was glued to her phone, texting her boyfriend by the looks of it.

"I don't know. I mean, he seemed pretty impressed that she got a perfect score on the pre-test. Maybe he'll admit that Ichigo's the real deal. Wanna make bets?" Misaki smirked.

"I'll give you all the cash in my wallet on him believing me. That way, when he doesn't, I can pretend I'm crying about that." Ichigo rummaged in her bag for her wallet.

"I'll bet against it, so I can take her money. How much do you have, Seimono?" Shisui leaned over her desk, reaching into his back pocket. Ichigo started counting, but froze.

"Shisui, you should know better. Gambling is against school rules." Itachi Uchiha smiled indulgently at his cousin. Ichigo whisked her wallet away and Misaki hastily crossed out the note she was writing.

"Aa, you're right. But don't I get some sort of diplomatic immunity?" Shisui nearly pouted.

"No."

"Blame Hiyomi then, she didn't stop me." 

"Your position is higher than mine, Shisui." Hiyomi's posture was nearly rigid. A quick look confirmed that Itachi's was nearly the same. Granted, it wouldn't surprise Ichigo if it was always that way.

"Anyway, do you have a minute before class, Misaki? I need to ask you about something." Itachi seemed amused by the exchange.

"Oh! Um, yeah. Let's go." Misaki followed Itachi out into the hall, and Hiyomi visibly relaxed. Shisui slipped into Misaki's empty chair.

"Did he do it again?" Shisui inquired, concerned. Ichigo wasn't sure what  _ it _ was, but assumed it must have something to do with the personal conversation Hiyomi mentioned.

"Yeah. Hopefully this will be the last time." Hiyomi sighed. Konan let go of her phone for a second to pat Hiyomi's hand. Ichigo didn't get it, but tried to radiate comfort.

"You should just tell him off," Shisui asserted. Maybe it had to do with Student Council, if Shisui knew. 

"I did, this time. I told him some other stuff, too. It should be the last time." She fidgeted. Konan's eyes widened slightly before she resumed her mask of indifference. Ichigo didn't know what any of this was, but felt like it was far too late to ask. Did that make her a bad friend?

"That's good to hear. If you wanna talk more about… well, any of it, you've always got my ear." Shisui's eyes were softer, and he hugged Hiyomi around the shoulders. Maybe Ichigo was a bad friend if she didn't know. She'd have to ask Misaki about it; something told her Konan wasn't going to say a word.

"Thanks, Shisui." Hiyomi said it like she meant it. "Shouldn't you guys be getting to class?"

"Oh. Yeah, it is about that time. Let's go, Konan." Ibiki's class almost seemed welcoming compared to the suffocating feeling of being out of the loop. 

She didn't know how a teacher could exact such subtle torture. Without indicating anything about their earlier conversation, Ibiki made Ichigo feel terrible about everything she said. He shook her so profoundly that she spent the rest of the day rolling with emotional turmoil. She didn't flirt or play around with Shisui and Nagano in Calc, and spent Gym buried in her Psych textbook, trying not to have an anxiety attack. What had she done?

She did the same during lunch, skipping the meal to mire herself further in cognitive psychology. Her friends stopped including her in the conversation after the third inappropriate "uh-huh".

Lit was spent internally screaming at her idiocy and nervously braiding and unbraiding her hair. She barely listened as Misaki got in a heated argument with Kobayashi, even when Mr. Hatake began egging them on. She wasn't even sure what part of the work they were arguing about. The third time she took the braid out and swept her hair behind her, she felt a tap on the shoulder.

Itachi leaned close and whispered, "Are you okay? I wasn't serious about the gambling thing this morning. Well, I was, but I wasn't about to report you for it."

"Oh. I know. I'm okay," she lied.

"Then, would you please stop sweeping your hair over my desk? It's beautiful, but I'd like to keep my pen, if you don't mind." Itachi's whisper was more entertained than annoyed, but Ichigo felt her cheeks heat nonetheless.

"Sorry." She bit her lip. Just another thing to feel embarrassed and awkward about. She pulled her hair over her shoulders and spent the rest of her class jittering her leg and biting the inside of her cheek instead. It would take until that evening for the compliment to register.

Government was her favorite class that day, since she didn't have time to think. The ache in her hand felt deserved. Chem was spent half-listening to her friends and half-watching Ms. Mitarashi burn things, and it was over far too quick. She dragged her feet all the way to Ibiki's classroom. Now it was actually time to face the music.


	6. She's the Prettiest Girl at the Party and She Can Prove It with a Solid Right Hook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo takes Ibiki's test with surprising results. Shisui gives her a ticket to Rebound City, and Ichigo cashes it in on Friday night with equally surprising results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a pretty detailed makeout session, but no nudity. It occurs when at least one of the parties is intoxicated. It's about eight paragraphs long, and if you'd like to avoid it once you see where things are going, you can jump back into the action at "You good?"

When she walked in, Ibiki gestured to the front middle seat. Ichigo didn't— couldn't— reply, and sat down to stare at the test. The exam was hard, and the seed of doubt that Ibiki planted in her that morning only made it harder. The majority of the exam was multiple choice, and she flew through it, leaving a few questions blank to answer later. She scanned the free response questions and ruminated on them, occasionally flipping to the back to make a note for herself later.

Even though she felt terrified by the whole thing, Ichigo tried to keep her cool. She tried to remind herself that she  _ did _ know the content. That she was a good test taker. That she was… something. Just after she began her free responses, Ibiki cleared his throat.

"One hour left, Seimono."

That was not nearly as much time as she'd like. Fuck. She hurried through the first question, analyzing a graph and answering some questions about it. The second took the majority of the remaining time, and she felt nerves coiling in the pit of her stomach. There was something about her answer that just didn't seem right. She stared at it, trying to puzzle it out, until Ibiki called time and took her packet.

He took his time grading, leaving Ichigo to violently jitter her leg and convince herself she'd failed. Not only was she sure she failed the exam, she'd almost certainly have to sit through the class with Ibiki making cutting comments towards her the entire year. She didn't have a reason to drop the class, after all, and doubted he'd let her drop solely out of shame. Ichigo let her worries fester and watched Ibiki flip through the exam.

He had to have a background in torture or something. She was going to look him up when she got home. Just how common of a name was Ibiki Morino? And with facial scars, too. Maybe she could ask her mother… No, that would require Ichigo to confide in her mother about the class, and that wasn't going to happen. Several minutes of tense silence later, Ibiki stood.

"Seimono, on your position as a student here, you didn't cheat?" He fixed her with a stony glare. Even if she had cheated, she couldn't lie to a face like that.

"I didn't, sir. I did study, though." The sass fell from her lips without pause.  _ I really need to start thinking before I speak.  _

Ibiki chuckled. "Alright. Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but you passed. With a 92. Do you know how many people got As on this exam last year?"

"No, sir."  _ That's more like it.  _

"Three. One's a psych major and the other two were the top of their class." His look had transformed into begrudging respect.

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say. Ichigo stood, unsure of what she should be doing.

"So, baby genius, what should we do about you?"

"I was hoping you'd know, sir." 

"Call me Ibiki. Sir's what I called your father during the war." 

"O-okay." She changed the oh at the last second, scrambling not to repeat herself. 

She hadn't known about Ibiki's service— or that he'd been involved with her father, somehow. The Third War was a mess that her parents wouldn't tell her about. It began when she was very small. All she could remember was her father disappearing for a few years and coming back with fewer smiles and the determination that Ichigo would do whatever she wanted. She vaguely remembered her parents fighting with the rest of her family and funneling a ton of money into her interests. Much stronger were the memories of her father's smile at all of her piano recitals, of the newspaper clipping that was still in the hallway of the house in River Country: "Seimono's Postwar Approach: More Jobs for Vets!"

"Well, the way I see it, we have a couple options. The faculty would want me to help you transfer out of the class, but you and I both know that's a pain in the ass, even three days into the year. And, I've got tenure, so I'm going to offer you a bargain they wouldn't like." He smiled, and Ichigo mirrored it, bemused.

"If you do the take-home assignments and come to class for tests, I'll take the higher grade between this," he wiggled the exam, "And your overall at the end of each term."

"So you're saying I don't have to come to class if I don't want to?" This couldn't be happening.

"More or less. Obviously, we'll have to hide it from the faculty, but as long as you show up for tests, I don't care. Sleep in, kid. You earned it."

"I… I don't know what to say, Ibiki. Are you serious?" She could feel her hands shaking.

"Yeah. I'd rather you stay home and sleep than be in my class distracting your friends or sitting there bored out of your gourd."

"Thank you. Let's do that. I… Wow." She felt a bizarre urge to hug her teacher, and tamped it down. She didn't know what to do.

"Sure. Now go home before I change my mind."

-

Ichigo did just that, walking to her locker in a haze. It turned out that she was just as unobservant when shocked. Again, she collided into someone. Again, they were taller than her and didn't budge. Again, it was Shisui. 

"We've got to stop meeting like this, Seimono." He grinned at her.

"I, um, yeah. Sorry." She blinked a few times.

"Are you okay? You really seemed upset during Calc, and I don't know what this is, but it doesn't seem good either." He held her arm to steady or stop her, she couldn't tell which.

"Yeah. Just, something weird happened." Ichigo honestly couldn't believe it. She got an A on the final. Ibiki was cool with her skipping class.

"Tell me about it? I'm starting to worry." 

"I um, I talked to Ibiki about Advanced Psych, because I thought I knew the whole curriculum."

"Right, I gathered that much this morning. What happened with that?" Shisui prompted.

"Well, he said I could take the exam after school. Which I guess you know. Then he messed with me during class and totally psyched me out, and I was freaking out about it all day." She wasn't sure when she'd dropped her bag, but Shisui was carrying it now, and they walked towards her locker together. Weird.

"Right. Nagano thought you were on something. He kept trying to tease you and you didn't even blink."

"Oh. No, I've just been all wound up about this stupid exam. I just took it, and I guess… I got an A? Well, an A minus."

"What? Are you serious? Ibiki's whole thing is his super hard exams! That's a huge deal, Ichigo." Shisui was flabbergasted.

"Oh. Well, I did it, so he um… this is the crazy part. He just told me that I only have to do the homework and show up for exams, as long as no one tells the principal or whatever." She had to be dreaming. She must have fainted at some point.

"Holy shit, Ichigo. Congratulations. Really. Ibiki's a tough nut to crack. He used to work with Itachi's dad at the police department. He did criminal psych and I think he did interrogations, not that the chief would tell me. You beating him and his test is insane. I know some people who cried about that exam last year." He clapped her on the shoulder. 

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming right now." She pinched the inside of her elbow. It hurt, but did that even mean anything?

"Oh, am I the man of your dreams?" He winked.

"Of… of course not," Ichigo stammered, a blush rising to her cheeks. It lacked her usual edge. That wouldn't do, not with the game they'd been playing lately. Shisui's eyebrows flew up, but he didn't push the issue. They reached her locker and he politely held Ichigo's bag while she rifled through it.

"So I take it, with all of the worrying about Ibiki, you didn't hear about the party this weekend."

"I didn't." She assumed there would be one, but the details had gone in one ear and out the other.

"Nagano's, of course. Friday night. He suggested you bring a bikini. He's also accepting cash towards drinks, if you wanna chip in." She processed the info, feeling a little bit closer to normalcy.

"It's too bad Itachi stopped us from betting. I could have given Nagano all of your money," she tried to tease. Her tone was still a little uncertain, but Shisui's usual smirk returned regardless.

"Yeah, too bad."

"Shisui?"

"Ichigo?"

"You going?" She kept her tone light. She couldn't express her interest outright. That would ruin the game.

"Of course. It's the first party of the year."

"Good." Whether it was the way she smiled at him or the sliver of promise she let slip into the word, something made Shisui blush at that. 

He recovered quickly, features sliding into a sly smile, "See you there, cutie."

It wasn't a bad day, after all. One ticket out of Psych and straight into Rebound City. On Friday, she'd find Shisui and some place no one would bother them, and see if he could make her forget about Hana. He'd made a lot of offers, and it was time for her to see if they were real. Granted, she wasn't even sure that afternoon had been real.

-

Shisui seemed to share her interest, even without knowing her plans. His flirting had been playful before, but on Thursday and Friday it became deliberate. Ichigo's responses were a little more sincere. It wasn't like she was going to date him, or anything. That was absolutely out of the question. They had too many classes together, too many mutual friends, and way too much knowledge of how each other worked. Not to mention, Misaki would kill her if she did— she didn't like Shisui much to begin with. Her agitation grew parallel to the flirting.

By the time they piled into Hiyomi's hatchback to ride to the party together on Friday night, Misaki's temper boiled over. She'd cornered Ichigo in Hiyomi's bedroom and demanded to know what was going on. Ichigo's honest answer ("I'm using him as my rebound. I'm probably going to get wasted and disappear with him somewhere.") didn't do much to help calm her down. So Misaki was pointedly ignoring her, Konan wasn't there ("I've got more important things to do than babysit you two."), and Hiyomi was desperately trying to keep the peace.

The peace lasted about as long as it took for them to walk into Nagano's kitchen and find the alcohol. A few 252s later, they stumbled their separate ways, Hiyomi promising to check in on Ichigo later. She poured herself a rum and coke and headed towards the lawn. The pool looked tempting, but Ichigo didn't want to take her coverup off just yet. Instead, she sat by the edge and dipped her toes in. It didn't take long for company to find her. 

"Hi, you." Shisui was in board shorts, shirt draped carelessly over one shoulder. Ichigo admired his form before she responded.

"Hi."

"Thinking about taking a dip?" He leaned over and stole her drink. "You make these too strong, you know."

"I know." She took the cup back, tilting it to her mouth.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Oh. Maybe, maybe not. Depends on something." 

"What's that?" He stole it again. It was nearly empty already. Maybe she should slow down.

"Whether you're willing to find somewhere dark with me." She drained the cup and stared at Shisui, eyes glinting. 

It was a testament to the strength of whatever tension they created that Shisui didn't balk at that. He purred, "I've only been asking you for a year," and they slipped away. 

They hurried, Shisui leading, into the house's nearest bedroom. As soon as the door was locked, Ichigo pulled Shisui close and kissed him hard on the mouth. He made a surprised noise but held her tighter, leaning down for better access. Shisui kissed her like nothing else had ever mattered. Before long, their tongues tangled for dominance and his hands slipped under the coverup to brush against her bare skin. 

Ichigo gasped against him, and he pressed the advantage, making her stumble backwards until they fell into bed. The kisses continued, Shisui pulling away from her mouth to trail kisses down her neck. Her hands moved up, tangling in his hair. Shisui reached the junction between collarbone and shoulder and bit down lightly. Ichigo couldn't help but moan, and she felt him smiling against her skin.

"You're always telling me to bite you, you know."

"That's not— aah— what I meant." Regardless, the barrage of kisses continued. Ichigo was all too aware of the pounding of her heart, the soft-rough feeling of Shisui's mouth, the firm, insistent press of his body against hers. When it started to grow overwhelming, she pushed on Shisui's chest and he let up. 

Wordlessly, she reversed their positions, straddling his lap. Shisui's eyes were glazed with alcohol and the electric high of their contact, pupils blown wide. Ichigo felt very confident, a little drunk, and frisky as hell. 

She leaned close to kiss his earlobe and whisper, "I bet you want me right now," and Shisui trembled. 

The board shorts did nothing to hide the truth. She kissed a demanding path down his neck and was rewarded with him clutching her waist like a lifeline. She tried to be a little rougher than he'd been with her, and it seemed to work. In that room, away from the noise of the dancefloor, all she could hear was the pounding of her heart and Shisui's erratic breaths.

When she reached his shoulder, she bit him in the same spot. Shisui's resulting groan had to be one of the sexiest things she'd ever heard. She laved her tongue over it and got an imploring  "Ichigo…"

She pulled away slightly to see what he wanted, but that only made him hold her tighter. "Don't stop."

"I didn't think you'd be so needy," she teased, beginning to work on the other side.

"You… You're really good at this." He sounded undone, and it sparked pride in Ichigo's chest. She did that. She  _ was _ good at this. She slid a hand down his chest to draw patterns against his abs and Shisui made a sound that was suspiciously close to a whimper. When her hand started to ghost lower, he grabbed her wrist and took charge again, flipping them easily.

Shisui was unforgiving in his revenge, drawing sounds out of Ichigo that she didn't know she could make. His hand finally passed over a breast, and he fondled it gently. Ichigo didn't know where this was going anymore. Her heart hammered. The coverup came off and they were kissing again, but it was the brush of skin on skin that made her press closer.

Shisui's kisses started to roam further down, but he hesitated at her chest, hand poised over her bikini. Their eyes met and suddenly Ichigo was nervous. This… hadn't been her plan. But what they were doing felt so good until now… Would he be upset if she said no? Was it going to be like Hana? She froze, and Shisui got off of her immediately.

"You good?" He propped himself on an elbow and studied her. Ichigo couldn't bring herself to say anything, just letting her eyes dart over Shisui's face. His face twisted into one of concern and Ichigo blinked. She felt rigid.

"It's okay to say no, you know. We can stop." He reached a hand out then halted, thinking better of it.

"I… Um..." Thinking was hard. Maybe she drank too fast. Maybe she needed to drink more. She didn't want to sit up, though.

"You're done, yeah?" He slowly reached a hand over and smoothed it over her face.

"Yeah." Words were hard, too. Ichigo rolled onto her side. What was she doing?

"You want me to go get some water? You look like you need a minute."

"Okay." Shisui left with a concerned smile and a slight stagger, and the door shut and she was alone.

Why had Shisui shown her more care in a wild night than Hana did in a weeks-long relationship? What made drunk Ichigo in a bikini worth more respect in September than in July? Her head spun. Maybe she did something wrong with Hana? She felt suffocated and exposed all of a sudden, and reached around wildly behind her for her coverup. Ichigo couldn't find it. She sat up quickly, trying to blink away dizziness. Where was it? She gave up and pulled the covers up around her, knees to her chest.

Shisui returned with a sealed bottle of water and took a seat at the foot of the bed, clearly unwilling to approach without permission. She took the bottle from his outstretched hand and opened it, giving herself a few ginger sips. It didn't help the panic.

"I can't find my coverup, Shisui."

"I'll look. Just sit tight, princess." He got up and used the light from his phone to look around. 

"Don't call me princess." Hana used to call her that… The memory felt sharp. She sipped and scanned the room with useless eyes. It was too dark for her to make anything out still. They were silent for a few minutes while Shisui looked, the panic beginning to claw up Ichigo's throat.

He must've noticed, because he turned back to her with a frown. "I'll keep looking, but do you want to wear my shirt in the meantime, if that'll make you feel better? I've never seen you like this, Ichigo."

She nodded, feeling tears begin to prick the corners of her eyes. She wasn't like this. He tossed her the shirt and Ichigo pulled it on. It wasn't perfect, but it made her feel a little better.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken your clothes off without asking." Guilt flashed over his face.

"No, um… I wanted it, at first. Then I didn't. And now I don't know what's wrong…" She felt tears start to spill down her cheeks and was hit by a wave of self-loathing that only made them worse.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's okay. Please don't cry." He abandoned the hunt and sat next to her, unsure of how best to comfort her.

"I, I just wanted to forget about Hana and I thought fooling around with you would help but it didn't and now I don't know what to do!" Ichigo sobbed.

"Ichigo…" Shisui started to reach out and Ichigo barreled into his chest. 

"I'm such an idiot!"

"You're not. Everyone rebounds. I kind of figured that's what you wanted with me. I didn't realize you were so drunk though, pr— honey."

"Mi, Misaki and I took a bunch of shots because she's mad at me. I just wanted to feel better already! I was just flirting with you because that's what we do, you know?"

"I know. I know you weren't serious. It's going to be okay. But Ichigo?"

"What?"

"You shouldn't throw yourself at people when you're drunk. I know you were just trying to forget but… If I had more to drink than what I shared with you, we could have done something we wouldn't have wanted sober." He was the rigid one now, arms barely touching her even as she shook against his chest.

"Oh."

"I don't want to take advantage of you. I wouldn't have done this if I knew."

"But then why did she want to?" Ichigo didn't understand. Why did Shisui care so much, when Hana hadn't? 

"What? Baby I'm gonna need you to start at the beginning. And drink your water. Talk to me about it. I promise I'm a good listener."

It wasn't the first time he said that, but it was the first time she took him up on it. They moved into comfortable spots on the bed and Ichigo told Shisui everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 252s are half Bacardi 151 and half Wild Turkey (which is 101 proof, as you might guess). Not a good thing to guzzle down if you're not trying to get smashed.
> 
> It bears saying that I don't condone Ichigo's actions here in the least. Drinking at parties and trying to hook up is not a good idea. **Sexual contact with someone who is under the influence is sexual assault.** Please, please, if you have any ideas of doing something like this, don't. Shisui is depicted here as very aware of himself and of consent, where the average teenage boy or young adult wouldn't be. It's important to me that it's important to him. I think this is one of the first parts of this fic where it becomes apparent that Ichigo isn't a very good person. She is selfish and self-destructive in droves, and this is a good case of the latter. She'll grow as the story continues, but this is a girl who's concept of consent is hazy at best, who throws herself into situations with very little self awareness.
> 
> Scenes like these are sometimes important to a narrative, even if they're terrible and make me feel bad about writing them. Next chapter will have Ichigo telling Shisui about a very similar situation. Sorry to Hana fans! She's made some pretty major fuckups in this one. 
> 
> If you're still reading this (or reading the fic at all, even if you just tl;dr'd the note) thank you so much! I appreciate the views and kudos. If you have a comment (even if it's just "wow wtf why did you write that you scum") please feel free to leave it, and I'll respond!


	7. R U Mine?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo finally tells the whole story. She's rewarded with betrayal on multiple fronts, and an unlikely act of friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, two titles from the same album in three chapters. If you haven't noticed (or cared), I'm naming each chapter after a song title that fits the mood or subject of the chapter, or relates to it in some way. Once I've posted more of Apricity, I'll link the full playlist for your perusal.   
> CW: Emotional abuse, abusive relationship, reluctance.

"I guess it all started at the party at the end of June. Well, maybe it was before that. Are you sure you want me to tell you all about it?" Ichigo wasn't crying anymore, and Shisui wasn't holding her, but she wished he was.

"Yeah. I think you need to tell someone, and I'm here to listen. I barely knew Inuzuka, so I'm not going to judge." Possibly sensing her insecurity, Shisui moved closer and threw an arm over her shoulders. Ichigo sagged into his side.

"Okay. You're probably right. Um…" It was a little hazy with all of the alcohol burning through her system, but she tried to think of when the whole Hana debacle started.

"It was the uh, senior prom last year. When I started liking her. I ditched the guy that brought me—" She scrunched up her face, trying to remember his name, "—he was some baseball guy, I think. You'd probably know him. Anyway, we danced a ton there and at the afterparty, too.

"Then there was the darts competition, which I think you were there for. I won and she was so cute, grumpy about losing…" Ichigo trailed off, taking a sip of water. Shisui gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"We talked here and there until graduation, then I didn't see her until that party in June. She was flirting with me for sure, so I stole a whole tray of jello shots and we sat in her car. We barely drank any of them, but we talked for a really long time about all sorts of things. Then she kissed me and I was totally fucked.

"I should have known then… But we kissed in the car for a while, then she said something about taking the rest of the shots in, so we went back to the party. She asked if I wanted to get in the pool, so we did and we hung out with my friends and her friends and it all kind of blurred.

"I remember you jumping into the pool in your underwear, and I remember her tongue in my mouth. It got late and she told Hiyomi she was taking me home, and I guess I was okay with it. She didn't take me home, not that night. We slept together in her bed and I couldn't believe it was real. I think we fooled around a little bit then too. I don't know if it matters."

Ichigo fiddled with her water bottle. Shisui didn't say anything, but she felt him hold her a little tighter. He must have known this story didn't have a happy ending. Ichigo swallowed, thought about the past, and continued.

"She drove me home dressed in her clothes. My mom wasn't home— another business trip, of course, so she came inside with me. I thought she just wanted her clothes back, and I probably made a joke about it. She kissed me again. We ended up tangled in my bed, making out like… well, like you and I just did.  

"I don't remember if it was that day or the next time we hung out, but at some point I asked what it was and she called me her girlfriend and I was so happy. We spent more time making out than anything else. Things started to go further a couple times and I stopped her. I didn't feel ready. She was always frustrated about it, now that I think back on it.

"I guess that should have been a sign. I kept pushing for it to be a relationship, and every time she'd concede some little thing. Like telling her family that we weren't just friends. Or letting me tell my mom. Or letting me post something. I liked her so much that I didn't even think about it. I didn't fucking blink before I let her control me, Shisui."

She squeezed the bottle a little too hard and it crumpled. The sound made her flinch. She felt like she was starting to sober up. Maybe hard truths did that to a person. 

"But I pushed Hana to treat me like a girlfriend, and Hana pushed me to get physical with her. She was always telling me that she'd do it if she were in my position. Like, 'I'd let you feel me up if you wanted.' I didn't want to feel her up. I just wanted her.

"I think it became apparent that I wasn't down to fuck, and she got distant. She'd barely respond to my texts. When we went somewhere, she would be cold. I was falling in love with her. When she turned away from me, I started falling apart.

"So I pushed myself to do more for her. Stepped out of my comfort zone so she'd warm up to me again. It didn't really work." The water did nothing to quell the way her feelings burned. Ichigo could feel the tears coming back and tried to will them away.

"So one day, we were in my room and she was being really weird, so I called her out on it. I asked her what was going on. She denied it and basically threw herself at me as a distraction. It distracted me until we were both down to underwear.

"I stopped her. I kind of freaked out, to be honest. I told her I wasn't ready for that, that I wasn't going to be. I told her… I told her I was in love with her, Shisui. I don't even know if that was the truth. But I thought I was. Can you guess what she said?"

Ichigo couldn't bear to look Shisui in the face while waiting for his response. The hand that wasn't holding her close and secure was balled tightly into a shaking fist. She cast her eyes up, fearful.

Shisui's jaw was clenched, the muscle jumping, but his eyes shimmered with the threat of tears. He took one long, measured breath and released it in a frustrated sigh.

"What did she say to you, Ichigo?" She could tell Shisui was struggling to keep an even tone, but the effort impressed her. She felt bad about what he had to hear next.

"She said if I loved her, I would let her make love to me." Ichigo was going to continue, but at those words Shisui let out a cry of disgust and slammed his fist on the bed.

"That's so wrong! You shouldn't have had to go through that. No one should have to! How dare she." He was more outraged than she had ever been. Should she have been more upset?

"I said no to her and she kind of snapped on me. Hana looked me in the eyes and told me the only reason she was with me was because she wanted to try things with a girl before college. That I seemed easy so she thought she could fuck me and get it over with. That she wasn't serious about me at all. That she never was.

"I was so serious about her." She was crying again, and fought off a hiccup before continuing, "I was ready to do the long distance thing. I was ready to do anything she wanted, just not sex. Not right then."

"She tried to play it off, but she got out of there as soon as she could. She said she'd talk to me later. She never did. Still hasn't." Ichigo swiped angrily at her eyes, trying to wipe the tears away. She only managed to smear her makeup.

"I dated her for 18 days. I fell for her so hard. I don't know how I could have been so stupid. The rest of the summer I cried, read books, and drank. And now I'm here, making another stupid fucking decision and crying like an idiot."

"You're not stupid, Ichigo," Shisui insisted.

"I know I'm not. I just wish I'd stop acting like it. Stop doing shit like this." Ichigo brought her palms back to her eyes and left them there. She was sick of crying. Sick of making mistakes. Sick of herself.

Shisui hugged her again, stroking her hair with one hand. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear him murmur, "That's the hard part, isn't it?"

Ichigo relaxed against Shisui again, and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Shisui reached around behind him and pulled out her coverup with a triumphant cheer.

"I guess it got caught between the sheets. You want me to turn around while you put it on?"

"Nope. You've seen it already. I guess I just freaked out before," she admitted, pulling Shisui's shirt off and handing it over. Her coverup found its familiar ground and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"So, what do we do now?" Shisui didn't even bother to put the shirt on, draping it over his shoulder like he had at the beginning of the night.

"I don't suppose you want to go back to what we were doing?" She offered, eyebrow cocked.

"You're still too drunk for that, sugar." Shisui smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. Not fully.

"And I can't hide in here all night until everyone leaves so no one knows I was crying."

"You can't," he agreed.

"And you're sure I can't just go back to Plan A?" Ichigo pouted.

"I'm sure, sweet." The smile reached his eyes that time. Good.

"Why do you keep calling me pet names?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yeah. What do I have to lose?"

"If I call you pet names, it feels less serious. If I'm teasing you and calling you baby, I can stop my feelings."

"Oh. Thanks for that, then. The last thing this fucked up situation needs is you getting a crush on me."

"Who's to say it wouldn't be the other way around? I'm pretty damn charming, if I say so myself."

"You would say that," Ichigo scoffed.

"There's my little spitfire."

"That's awful. But for real, Shisui. What do I do now?" She finished her water and flattened the bottle between her palms.

"I have an idea, but you're not gonna like it."

"I never do. What is it?"

"I'm gonna carry you and throw you in the pool and you're gonna act like you hate it and try and fight me off."

"Why can't I just go run and jump in the pool?" He was right. She didn't like the idea one bit.

"People would ask why and I don't think you're in any state to lie about that right now." Shisui had a point.

"Why wouldn't they ask why you were throwing me in?"

"Because I'm going to make a big scene about it. It's the least I could do for a friend."

"I think you just want to throw me. What if I hit the water and throw up or something?"

"You're not the nauseous type. You didn't even throw up when you took all those shots with Misaki last year."

"I did. I just vomited at home."

"Still. Unless you have a better idea," Shisui challenged.

"No. But I hate yours. What's your reason for throwing me?"

"Uhh, you kept teasing me about how you wouldn't take the coverup off because you weren't going in the pool?"

Ichigo huffed, "That's weak."

"Again, do you have a better idea, Seimono?"

"No. Let's go, I guess."

"I'll go first. Wait a minute before you come out." Shisui patted her head on his way out.

The door shut and Ichigo took another moment to reflect. Her mistakes had led her to this. Being tossed into the deep end of a pool by a guy she made out with so no one would know she was crying about her ex. She tried to neaten up and took a deep breath before heading into the hall, game face in place.

"That's it, Seimono! I'm making you get in the pool whether you like it or not!" Shisui scooped her up bridal style.

"Ugh, Shisui! Put me down! What the hell is the matter with you?" She smiled against his chest. He was a good friend after all.

"You can't just tease me like that all night! Who wears a bikini to a party they don't plan on swimming at?"

"It wasn't planned. You're such a fucking creep!" She kicked her legs uselessly. They gamboled outside and Shisui dramatically swung her to alarmed laughter.

"You owe me one," was the last thing Ichigo heard before she fell into the depths of the pool. She kicked off the bottom and came to the surface drenched.

"You asshole! Get in here before I come up there and push you in!" She yanked the coverup over her head, wringing it out before using it to wipe her face. There. Now nobody would tell the difference.

"Nope. Can't do it, Seimono. And you can't make me." They grinned at each other in spite of the situation. Then Ichigo was winding up her coverup again to rattail Shisui's ankles.

"Ouch! Okay, okay. You can't get enough of me, I get it." He tossed his shirt and phone on the nearest table and dove in, form immaculate. Ichigo was doused again.

"God, can you like, have one  _ moment _ of common decency?"

"Not for you, sunshine."

"Bite me, Uchiha."

"Okay." He lunged towards her and she splashed him. 

When Shisui finally grabbed her, she had a moment before he dunked her to say a quiet "Thank you." The hand in her hair slackened for a second, and then they were back to normal, like that night had never happened. 

Misaki and Hiyomi joined her later on, and her smallest friend held Ichigo tight for a long moment.

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch about the Shisui thing. I know you were just trying to feel better, in your weird Ichigo way." Misaki was very, very drunk. She was always sweet when she'd had too much.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I know you were just trying to protect me, in your weird Misaki way." Misaki looked like she might tear up, but just hugged Ichigo tighter. Hiyomi looked on, relaxed if a bit awkward.

"Get in here, Hiyocchi! We're having a mem… memorable moment!"

"If you say so." Hiyomi was most likely the only sober person at the party, but always indulged her friends' crazy impulses.

"So what did you guys end up doing?" Ichigo asked, pulling a friend into each arm.

"Well, I wanted to dance a bunch, but Hiyomi made me sit after a little bit. Then the frickin' prez found us and they talked about school stuff like all night."

"It wasn't just school stuff! Itachi was telling me about his little brother, too. You tuned out when we were talking about student council."

"Yeah, cause it's boring! And his little brother's a dick, too. I don't think I told you about that, Ichigo."

"Hmm?" 

"He fuckin… coerced me into coming back to Debate, so I went to the meeting after school today. He got his little brother and another frosh to come too, so they didn't have to disband the club."

"Yeah? How did that go?"

"Five minutes in and the frosh are fighting. I'm just sitting there while Kobayashi tries to glare me to death and Itachi tries to get them to shut up. Hatake shuts his book and fucks off, and within seconds little Uchiha decks his blonde friend."

"Oh my god. At least Hatake was out of the room."

"So then Kobayashi is screaming at them to stop, and Itachi has to stick himself in the middle of it. Pulls the other kid off Sauce like he does it every day, and calls the meeting off." Misaki shook her head in disbelief.

"That's crazy. What did you do then?" 

"I was annoyed as hell so I walked up and I told him that I'm not going back unless he gets  _ you _ to join." Misaki grinned.

"What the fuck? Now he's gonna bother me until I do it. Why would you say that?" Ichigo glared at Misaki. 

"Because I was pissed at you about the Shisui thing, and now I can run odds on whether or not you join."

"You're a terrible friend. Hiyomi, why do you let her do these things to me? Absolutely unbelievable."

"I don't let her do anything. She just does it. I told her beforehand that there was no way I could join." Hiyomi smirked.

"You guys!" Her friends started laughing at her in earnest. Ichigo scowled and pushed Misaki away, pulling herself out of the pool.

"This right here is why I drink."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo has better friends than she deserves.  
> My tumblr is [here.](https://sparklecinnamonbunny.tumblr.com/) It's not definitively Naruto or anything themed, but I am reachable there.


	8. Last Young Renegade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time, Itachi almost enjoys a party. Almost. Then he realizes three fundamental truths at the exact same time. Needless to say, he'll never be satisfied.

"Shisui! Put me down! What the hell is the matter with you?" Was that Ichigo? Itachi craned to look across the house. He couldn't really tell.  
"You can't just tease me like that all night! Who wears a bikini to a party they don't plan on swimming at?" 

"It wasn't planned. You're such a fucking creep!" That sounded like her. And judging by the how quickly Hiyomi and Misaki got up, it had to be.

_Splash._ "You asshole! Get in here before I come up there and push you in!"   
Itachi followed the crowd outside to find a doused, furious Ichigo whipping Shisui's ankles with what looked to be a wound up black dress. After a few shots, Shisui gave up and dived in the pool, covering Ichigo with another deluge of water. Itachi couldn't hear what they were saying anymore, but watched his cousin torment their classmate for a minute or two before heading back inside.

Parties had never been his thing. When they got to high school, Shisui took to them like a duck to water, but Itachi, for all of his reputation, could never enjoy them. He had no interest in drinking, even if he didn't have to drive Shisui home. He wasn't much of a dancer, either. It was nice to hang out with people outside of school, but it never took long for everyone to drink themselves incoherent.

Itachi had managed to avoid parties outside of brief appearances to get Shisui for over a year, but his cousin had insisted he attend this one. It hadn't been that bad, either. No one was trying to force drinks on him, and he'd been able to chat with Hiyomi for a while. It finally felt like they were back to being friends. No one was trying to flirt with him. Shisui actually found something to do other than mess with him (although he felt a little bad for Ichigo), so Itachi could relax for once.

It still wasn't his scene, but it wasn't as terrible as he remembered. In fact, he was actually starting to have a good time. The kitchen felt like the eye of a hurricane, even if the liquor formed the storm walls. He was enjoying the relative peace and quiet with a fresh bottle of water when the hurricane passed over him.

The hurricane was a five-foot-seven girl wearing a black bikini and a glower. Ichigo was shoeless, wet, and irritated. Itachi knew better than to say anything. He watched her glare at the liquor for a moment before averting his eyes. It was rude to stare, after all. Especially in a bikini like that. He heard her swear to herself as she hunted for a cup and couldn't help but look back over. Ichigo's wet hair fell wildly around her shoulders in nearly purple curls. He kind of wanted to touch it.

"...Can I help you with something?" Oh no. _Oh_ _ shit. _  She noticed him looking. Say something, say anything!

"I um… You've got a bruise on your shoulder. Is that from Shisui?" He couldn't have thrown her into the pool  _ that  _ hard. Ichigo turned crimson and hastily covered her shoulder with her hair.

She opened her mouth to say something and shut it again just as quickly, reaching for a bottle of liquor. Instead of pouring it into a cup, she pulled the topper off and took a long drink of it straight. Itachi's eyebrows shot up. He felt like he should say something else but was afraid that would go just as poorly. Then again, if he didn't say anything, she might drink herself sick.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. He couldn't have thrown you hard enough into the pool to leave marks."

Ichigo made a distressed noise and slammed the bottle down on the counter. She whirled on him, eyes wild, and pressed a finger into his chest. "You didn't see anything, Uchiha."

Itachi's first reaction was that she looked very cute flustered and angry, but then Ichigo stumbled and he caught her and she looked even cuter, eyes wide and pupils dilated.  _ Wait, what? Since when have I found anyone cute? _

He was almost as hurried as she was to set her to rights. Ichigo finally found a cup and mixed a drink faster than he could follow before fleeing as quickly as possible. Itachi set his water down and leaned over the sink, thoughts racing.  _ What just happened? Am I  _ blushing?  _ It must just be anxiety. I made a total fool of myself and made Ichigo uncomfortable. That's all. _

Still, Itachi found himself heading out to the pool. Ichigo was back in, her best friends flanking her as she told a story with grand, exaggerated gestures. She was flushed— surely from the alcohol she just poured down her throat— and her eyes darted around wildly. Itachi couldn't tear his eyes away. Why did he want her to be looking for him?

"You look like you need to cool off," Shisui remarked. Itachi looked down to find his cousin studying him from the edge of the pool.

"I was just thinking that it's starting to get late."

"You're full of it. That's the same face you made when your mom caught you stealing cookies when we were kids. You aren't thinking about bothering Hiyomi again, are you? You know she's not…"

"Yeah. I mean no, I wasn't thinking about Hiyomi." Just the girl Hiyomi was watching with a face somewhere between incredulity and indulgence. He glanced over again. Ichigo was leaning on Hiyomi's shoulder now, and Hiyomi was scarlet.

Shisui followed his gaze. "Misaki, then? I heard the Debate meeting was a mess. Something about Sasuke and Naruto?"

Itachi took the out for what it was and replied, nodding, "Yeah. I owe her an apology for my brother's behavior."

"Get in then. I'll go with you. I need to ask Ichigo about something, anyway." He wished he could say the same. Well, there was Debate…

He pulled his shirt over his head and dove in, swimming over to the girls with Shisui. Heads swiveled to follow them, but he only noticed one. Ichigo surveyed him with appraising eyes, making Itachi almost regret getting in. Then they narrowed with something like satisfaction, and she leaned over to whisper to Hiyomi and Misaki in turn. They all looked at him then, and he swallowed.

"Hey hey, haven't you had too much? I'm confiscating that," Shisui proclaimed, stealing Ichigo's drink. She frowned, but didn't do anything to take it back. Itachi didn't know what to say, even with Shisui trying to cut the tension. His cousin took a swig out of the cup and grimaced.

"This tastes like lighter fluid. No one should be drinking it, least of all you, Seimono. Not after the night you've had."

"I made it in a hurry. And I do need that, so I can put up with you." She snatched it back, cheeks reddening again. He felt like he could breathe a little better when the blush wasn't directed at him.

"You really don't. Not after what you just did in the kitchen," Itachi pointed out, and four pairs of eyes focused on him again. 

"I'm pretty sure you _didn't_ _see anything_ , Uchiha," Ichigo spat. Her nose tended to scrunch up when she was irritated, he noticed. Was that what made her look so cute? _No,_ he thought desperately, _she's not cute. Not at all. I don't think people are cute, like ever._

"It must've been someone else chugging vodka then." If Shisui could get away with teasing her, surely he could too. She reddened further than she had in the kitchen and splashed him. Misaki cackled at Ichigo's antics, but Shisui looked like he was making a connection.

Itachi didn't like that look one bit. He felt the back of his neck heat. "So, Misaki, I wanted to apologize again for the meeting today. That was a… a hot mess, to be honest."

"Are you kidding? Your brother being a sullen little shit and Kobayashi being Kobayashi is a hot mess. What happened today was a catastrophe. Give me some of that, Ichigo." She pulled the red cup from her friend's hands. Itachi wondered how much of that Ichigo had actually been able to drink.

"Right. I just needed them to show up so I could still claim Debate was a club, so neither of them will be there again. Would you reconsider?" He hated having to plead like this. Sasuke owed him big time for not telling their parents.

"Ugh, this is awful," Misaki complained, coughing. She took a moment to put Ichigo's cup on the edge of the pool and clear her throat before she replied.

"Look, I mean what I said earlier. If you can get  _ her _ to join," she nodded to Ichigo, who was in a murmured conversation with Shisui, "then I'll come back, too. As of right now, I'd say you're shit out of luck."

"Okay." Itachi was more distracted by the honest, nervous look that darted across Ichigo's face at something Shisui said. Then she was shaking her head and they both laughed. Something in Itachi's chest clenched. He was invading on something private. They probably had something important to talk about, and he shouldn't be looking. He started to look away just as Shisui shot that look at him again.

"Get down, Mr. President!" Shisui had his fingers to his ear. Itachi looked around, confused, as the girls covered their ears as well. Then, Shisui threw himself at him and Itachi was underwater.

He came back up, waterlogged, spluttering, "W-what?"

"It's a little game we play. The last person to cover their ear— or not, in your case— gets tackled by the person who started it." Shisui smirked. Normally, Itachi would be mad. He'd retaliate or say something disapproving.

But he couldn't think of anything to say, with Ichigo laughing so hard. Her hand was clapped over her mouth, but her shoulders shook. After a few seconds, she looked at Itachi and laughed even harder, little snorts coming out involuntarily. In that moment, Itachi realized three things;

First: Ichigo looked even cuter laughing than she did mad.

Second: He was capable of having crushes like a normal person.

Third: He had a crush on Ichigo, who he was almost certain hated him.

With these three realizations, Itachi came to a swift conclusion: He was well and truly fucked. He absolutely could not have this crush. He'd made Ichigo too angry too frequently for her to ever like him back. Even if she did, Itachi didn't have the time to date her. Regardless, he had no other explanation for the strange way his stomach flipped watching her wipe away tears from laughing too hard.

Really, he should have seen this coming from the first day of school. There was a magnetism to Ichigo that he'd noticed from the moment they met. Clearly, he'd liked her from the start without even realizing it. Why else would he have thought about her so much? He'd called her a mystery but the real enigma was what the hell he was going to do now. Of all the people for his crush to be on, this had to be the worst.

He'd watched her waltz into the kitchen in a strappy bikini and chug vodka and he'd thought she was cute? He was an idiot. A huge idiot, he concluded. With that decided, Itachi threw himself back into the conversation. Maybe, if he acted like nothing was wrong, he would wake up tomorrow without all of the feelings he had right now.

It wasn't too long before the girls left, Misaki leaning on Hiyomi and Ichigo trailing behind, talking to Shisui again. Itachi caught a "Text me when you get there. You've had too much for me to feel safe otherwise," from Shisui, and they were gone. His cousin turned back to him, eyes gleaming too sharply with intelligence to be anything but sober.

"So, Ichigo, huh?" He really hated it when Shisui made that face.

"What?" Panic sped Itachi's heart up.

"I know."

"What?" He repeated, heart now pounding in his ears. 

"Fine, I'll wait for you to tell me in a couple days when it finally makes sense to you. Let's go home, Itachi."

"Okay." He didn't have to tell Shisui anything. _No,_ he corrected to himself,  _he didn't have anything to tell Shisui._ And if anyone in the world was looking out for him, it would stay that way.

Naturally, it didn't. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw "Get Down Mr. President" as a game in a reddit/tumblr post, and thought it was too silly not to include. It's worth extra points when they do it to Itachi, since he's the student body president. 
> 
> I could have used "Satisfied" for the title/song, but "Last Young Renegade" fits the theme better. Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day, if you celebrate, since I'm posting this at 2 AM.


	9. Thumbnail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it lying if you're deceiving yourself too? Or: Ichigo heavily fudges the memory loss of binge drinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Life tends to pick up all at once, it seems. :)

Ichigo woke up with her head pounding and her mouth dry. She couldn't really remember how she got there, but she was covered in a pile of blankets on Hiyomi's bed. She stretched her arms and legs out like a starfish. Hiyomi wasn't here, then. Slowly, agonizingly, Ichigo rolled over and opened her eyes. The room was empty. Someone— Hiyomi, probably— was thoughtful enough to make sure the blackout curtains were shut.

She shambled out of bed and into the restroom, phone in hand. Ichigo looked nearly as bad as she felt. She peeled fake eyelashes off her cheek. How had they let her go to bed like this? She couldn't remember much past Shisui throwing her into the pool. Speaking of which… Ichigo pulled out her phone and squinted at her texts. They'd never talk about last night again if they could avoid it, judging by the garbled messages from the night before.

She washed her face and turned the shower on, undressing as fast as she could, given the circumstances. She stared at herself in the mirror while she waited for the shower to heat up. Shisui had left several marks; Itachi had pointed out one that was quick to darken last night, but Ichigo's neck and shoulder looked worse in the unforgiving light of Hiyomi's bathroom.

The shower made it clear that they were tender, too. Regardless, Ichigo let the water course over her with only an occasional "ngh" of annoyance. If her brain didn't feel like it was full of pudding and needles, her thoughts would be racing. Instead, she fixated on one question. How much did Misaki and Hiyomi know about last night? What did she do after she got in the pool? If only she could  _ remember. _

Ichigo stayed in the shower for as long as she could, trying to make her synapses fire. By the time the water went cold, she'd formed a decent plan. She toweled off and pulled on some clean clothes; she'd accumulated a stockpile of forgotten clothes here. Her hair was still wet, but she lacked the willpower to care. Ichigo shoved her phone into the back pocket of her jeans and staggered into the kitchen.

"There's our little sunbeam. You got up before noon, Ichigo! We're so proud!" Misaki snarked, voice much louder than necessary. Ichigo cringed. 

"I… What did I do last night?" She blinked hard. The best way to gauge what they knew would be to act like she didn't. Ichigo knew Misaki wouldn't miss a chance to tease her about Shisui.

Hiyomi came into the kitchen with two delivery bags and spoke in a deliberately low voice, "I hope you don't mind, I used your debit card to order hangover breakfast. There's coffee on if you want some." 

"You're an angel," Ichigo groaned, shuffling across the room and pouring herself a cup.

"How much of last night do you remember?" Misaki asked, already digging through for the bacon.

"Um…" She left her answer open. Misaki and Hiyomi shared a look.  _ Oh, this should be good. _

"Do you think maybe we should…?" Hiyomi trailed off, nervous.

"It would ruin the sanctity of hangover breakfast as an institution." 

"What is it, you guys? Did I do something I don't remember?" Ichigo tried to seem innocent.

"Did you look in the mirror when you showered, by any chance?" Misaki snickered.

Ichigo took a slow and calculated walk to the guest bathroom, waited about two seconds, and exclaimed, "Oh my god. What did I… Who did I… What?"

"Shisui, we're pretty sure. You wanted to rebound. I guess you did it." Misaki waited for her to come back and shrugged, stuffing food into her mouth.

"Um, maybe you should eat. You'll feel better. Maybe you'll remember more when your head's clearer." As always, Hiyomi tried to maintain the peace. 

Ichigo complied, and stacked her plate high with french toast. Hangover breakfast was one of the cornerstones of the group's friendship. It began after a party last winter where Ichigo, Konan, and Misaki all drank too much. They wanted to go get breakfast, but couldn't bear the thought of the sharp winter air and too bright sun. Hiyomi found a diner that delivered, and the tradition was born.

Even though Ichigo was faking it a little, the coffee and food did help clear her mind. She couldn't really remember what she did after the Shisui thing, but vaguely remembered Itachi was involved. Did she…?

"So… I remember Shisui, now. What did I do after that?" Ichigo rubbed her temples.

"Well, you hung out with us mostly. Then we ticked you off and you went in for more drinks. Itachi said you chugged vodka straight from the bottle. Then you came back all flustered and started talking about how he looked at you, or something. I was pretty bad off too, you know," Misaki explained.

"You said he 'smoldered' at you. You told me some things I'm not going to repeat. Then the prez came out and you told us that he must be into you. And then… you said another thing I don't want to repeat." Hiyomi blushed.

"It was, and I quote, 'Guess who's claiming two Uchihas in one night, bitches!' Not sure how that worked out for you, because you got really snappy with him." Misaki shrugged again.

"Oh no! That's pretty embarrassing. Was he cool about it? What happened with Shisui? Do I need to worry about rumors?" She wasn't interested in Itachi at all. He was hot, sure, but she couldn't see herself getting along with him.

"Nah, you guys acted like you always do. Honestly, we wouldn't have known if you hadn't said something about it. And Itachi was Itachi. Oh, in case you don't remember, I told him that I wasn't coming back to Debate unless he got you to join."

"Well, if I was bitchy towards him, maybe he won't try and convince me. Good job, Drunk Ichigo." She finished her coffee and ate with a little more gusto.

"Also, you climbed into bed with Hiyomi when we got here and demanded she be the big spoon." Ichigo choked a little and pounded her fist on the table. That  _ did _ explain the blanket situation.

Hiyomi's blush deepened, and she thrust a bottle of water across the table with a shaking hand. Ichigo finished the entire thing, desperate not to answer. 

"Oh man, Hiyomi. I'm really sorry about that," she laughed anxiously, "I hope I didn't bother you too much."

"I didn't mind. It was… fine once your hair was out of the way." She fiddled with her fork. Ichigo tried not to give in to the urge to blush.  _ Nope. Not going there. Absolutely not. It's not even like she likes girls, anyway. _

Misaki gave Hiyomi another look and Hiyomi gave a minute shake of her head.  _ What did I say that they're trying not to tell me? There's nothing else it could be… _

"What is it, you guys?" She struggled to remain calm. If she told them how upset she'd been about Hana… Ichigo didn't think she could live out the embarrassment.

"Oh, nothing. We totally thought you were going to throw up last night and you didn't, so seeing you eat and drink so quickly is kind of freaking me out," Misaki giggled.

"Eve's always makes me feel better." She shrugged.  _ Okay, so they're not going to talk about it. Probably none of my business.  _ They ate in silence for a few minutes before Ichigo's phone lit up and started vibrating its way off of the table. 

"Huh. It's Shisui. I bet he's calling to apologize for mauling me. Should I put him on speaker?" Ichigo smirked. Misaki mirrored it and nodded, a finger over her lips.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey. I wanted to talk to you about last night, if you've got a minute." He didn't sound hungover at all. Then again, Ichigo couldn't recall seeing him drink much outside of stealing hers.

"Uh, yeah. Go ahead." Misaki's eyes glinted from across the table.

"I know things got kind of… weird, towards the end, and we agreed not to talk about it, but I thought we had a lot of fun. Before and after the pool. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out again. Sober this time." 

Ichigo glanced at Misaki, eyebrow cocked. Misaki mouthed a silent "what the fuck" and Ichigo threw her hands up in return. She tried to think of what to say that wouldn't betray her breakdown.

"Are you asking me on a date, Uchiha?" The same game as always. It was easier, safer. Hopefully Shisui could tell she was with company. He always seemed to know what was up.

"If you're offering, princess." Ichigo's nose scrunched at the nickname. He got the message, then. Or Shisui had forgotten the reason she hated it.

She gave a disdainful laugh, "I don't think so. If you don't have the balls to ask me straight up, I'm not interested."

"Okay, okay. Then I guess I don't need to tell you to lay off the teeth next time. My shoulder—"

"Whoa. Hold up. Your shoulder? You should see my neck. And I don't remember you complaining when—"

"Yeah, I get it. I'll see you Monday, then." She could feel him roll his eyes over the phone. She was doing the same.

"For sure. And Shisui?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks." And she meant it, too. Even if the rebound fling didn't help her, talking about Hana with Shisui had felt like closure. Ichigo felt a little more distant from the situation than she had before. She didn't really understand why Shisui called to ask her out if he didn't want to talk about their hookup, but she didn't think that was a subject she could broach with Misaki and Hiyomi around. Maybe when she got home. 

"No problem." He hung up.

Ichigo tried not to act too pleased with herself, but she could feel the tension in the air lessen slightly. Misaki studied her with mild interest before returning to her breakfast. Suspicions averted, for now. She could always get more details from Shisui once she was home. She knew they needed to talk about last night anyway, even if neither of them really wanted to.

It wasn't that Ichigo didn't want her friends to know she was still struggling with Hana— She just didn't want them to know she'd told Shisui more than them. It wasn't a conscious decision to do so, either. It just ended up being easier telling someone who wasn't so involved in the situation. Her three best friends had been (and maybe still were) friends with Hana, Konan especially, so telling the truth would make things messy. It was far easier for Ichigo to pretend she was already over it, that she was ready for rebound flings and flirting.  _ Maybe,  _ she supposed,  _ if I fake it for long enough, it'll become true and I  _ will _ be fine. _

Naturally, she wasn't.


	10. Risque

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi is in denial. Ichigo makes a costly mistake. Shisui plays matchmaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, again, for the wait. All this time and I'm still not 100% happy with how this chapter turned out.

It didn't feel like a Monday, not in any real sense. Ichigo's skin buzzed with anticipation like a Friday afternoon. Maybe it was the effect of having her hair down; normally, she kept her curls tucked away in a braid or pulled into a ponytail or bun. Maybe it was the effect of arriving late. _Or maybe,_ she considered, sitting in Hatake's class, _I'm on edge because Uchiha's so nervous behind me._

Itachi had alternated between drumming his fingers on the desk and jittering his leg the entire period and Ichigo was a hair's breadth away from snapping. She would have said something already, but after how she treated him on Friday night it was difficult to look at him without feeling guilty. Not to mention the whole Debate situation. It was better to avoid Itachi, at least for a little while.

 _But… I could always be petty._ Ichigo smirked to herself and stretched, sweeping her hair across Itachi's desk. She couldn't do it too much without drawing attention to her neck, but it was still satisfying to hear Itachi sigh to himself. Mr. Hatake concluded his discussion of their essays and called Itachi up to pass them out, and her smirk grew. It was time to be a little devilish, just because she could.

Ichigo waited for Itachi to return with her essay and gave him her full attention. A teasing smile, inviting eyes, and all she said was, "Thank you."

A hint of color at his cheekbones. "Mhm."

Maybe, if she made Itachi think she was interested in him, he wouldn't ask her to join Debate. Ichigo figured that no matter how much he needed Misaki, Itachi wasn't willing to put up with someone flirting all the time. She considered her hypothesis correct when he promptly got up at the end of class and talked to Shisui.

 

-

 

In actuality, Itachi was avoiding Ichigo as much as she was avoiding him. After Friday night's revelation, he'd spent the weekend buried in books to avoid thinking about Ichigo. Or Shisui. Or anything other than his desk, his immediate family, and the nuances of static physics. When physics stopped working, he switched to calculus. When he memorized the unit circle (for the third time), he switched to his government textbook. By Sunday afternoon he was frustrated, overprepared, and antsy.

Needless to say, it carried over into Monday. And with the object of his affections— no, his impossibly slight interest— right in front of him in Lit, Itachi was downright jumpy. He couldn't seem to focus, and fidgeted. It didn't help that her hair was down. She stretched, sighed, swept her hair over his desk. Itachi lost his train of thought. Picked his pen off the floor with a sigh. Went back to desperately trying to ignore the girl in front of him and fidgeting.

He passed back the essays and his relief died before it could even be felt. Ichigo smiled directly up at him, eyes sultry. Jumpiness became panic. She knew! She had to know! She knew and she was testing him or just messing with him and Itachi couldn't deal with it. Shisui knew, of course, even though Itachi didn't confirm it. Shisui always knew somehow. Did he tell her? Why would Shisui tell Ichigo that? He knew that Itachi didn't have the time to flirt with anyone, let alone date them.

Hatake had scarcely dismissed them before Itachi zoomed across the room to his cousin. He tried to seem casual about it but he almost felt itchy, he was so anxious. How could he ask without anyone overhearing and understanding?

"Did you say something to her?" That was the best he had.

"Her who?" Shisui knew damn well who, and Itachi ground his teeth.

"You know."

"Oh. _Her_. We talked this weekend, but nothing about you. Why?"

Itachi lowered his voice, "She gave me this look. Like she knew, somehow. This is so stupid."

"I'm pretty sure she's just messing with you," Shisui reassured, getting up, "Watch this."

Itachi tried not to look tense as he and Shisui walked over to their peers. The group parted easily for them, and Shisui casually raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey Ichigo, can I ask you something?"

"Go for it." She seemed disinterested.

"Are you free tonight, or will it cost me?" Shisui winked.

"I don't think you could afford it, Uchiha." Ichigo rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

"Guess I'll have to save up."

"Keep dreaming, Shisui."

The conversation flowed like normal, and Itachi watched Ichigo and Shisui's backs disappear on the way to their next class. They were still bantering about something or other, and Itachi was still uncomfortable. She hadn't flirted with him like _that_. It felt different. He still felt like she knew somehow. Itachi couldn't shake it off.

 

-

 

Ichigo slowed on the way to Government. Shisui matched her pace, stealing the opportunity to ask a question without an audience. "So, Itachi said you were flirting with him today. What's up with that?"

She looked either way. No one was around. "Is it working? I'm trying to flirt with him so much that he never asks me to join Debate."

"That's… kind of messed up. He just seemed uncomfortable." Shisui's usual smile faltered.

"Good, if he's uncomfortable he won't want to approach me."

"Still, that's pretty nasty. What if he got the wrong impression?"

"I don't think I'm his type. Why do you care?" Ichigo examined her nails. She felt a little guilty now, but she wasn't about to admit to it.

"Look, I know you have this whole unnecessary bitchiness thing, but can you reach into your stash of common decency and lay off him? And if you can't do that, call it my favor from the other night." He almost sounded angry.

"I was just wondering why you're so invested. No need to bite my head off," Ichigo mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat.

"Itachi doesn't play around like we do. Enough girls make him uncomfortable with real feelings on a daily basis, he doesn't need you faking it."

"Oh. Sorry, I guess. I didn't realize." She rubbed the back of her neck.

After that, Ichigo made an effort to avoid Shisui for the rest of the day. She didn't think she cared that much about Itachi's feelings, but something about Shisui chiding her had rubbed Ichigo the wrong way. Friday's lecture about not hooking up when drunk was bad enough; she didn't want to make it a habit.

Ichigo almost made it out without any other Uchiha incidents. Almost. Itachi caught her as she opened her locker at the end of the day. She heard him coming and tried to move a little faster. Tried to pretend she didn't notice him. But Itachi's shadow fell over her and he cleared his throat, so she had to turn her head.

"Oh, hi Itachi. Was there something you needed?" She suppressed the urge to flirt. _Common decency. C'mon. I don't need a Shisui lecture._

"I was wondering if you had a moment to talk." Itachi shuffled his feet.

"Uh… yeah. I'm all ears." Ichigo tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other. _Just spit it out already. Let's get this over with._

"The Debate team is looking for new members, and I know that Mr. Hatake talked to you about it already, but I was hoping I could convince you to join."

"Like I told Hatake, I really don't think it's my thing. I can only talk at length about things I care about. Getting assigned random topics to talk about wouldn't really be enjoyable for me."

"We usually don't know our topics ahead of time, but it's almost always current or controversial issues. With the way you've spoken in class, I think you'd excel," Itachi insisted.

"I'm not interested. Besides, I know you're only asking so you can get Misaki to come back with me. Sorry Itachi, you'll have to find another person." Ichigo smiled with her apology, tilting her head to the side.

"I urge you to reconsider. You're… a very persuasive person."

"Sorry," she repeated, shutting her locker.

"Okay. Have a good evening, Seimono." He nodded to her.

Ichigo's nose scrunched at the use of her surname. Itachi seemed a little upset at her response, but she didn't know what he was expecting. She'd already said no to Hatake, she wasn't going to say yes just because it was Itachi asking. Unless… Was he trying to take advantage of the crush that he thought she had because of her earlier flirtations? _That sly motherfucker!_

Then again, that seemed more like a Shisui move than an Itachi one, from what she'd seen. But… she didn't really know Itachi that well, did she? Not that she planned to, or anything. She was fine with their relationship as acquaintances. Friends of friends. Right? She just needed to go home and stop thinking about pointless bullshit.

It came back to her, as pointless things often do, as she tried to fall asleep. It dawned on her all at once— Itachi wasn't trying to manipulate her, or take advantage of supposed feelings for him. No, judging by his awkwardness, Itachi had a thing for her. His blushes this weekend and today where the week before there hadn't been any; his sincere insistence that she join Debate; the extent to which Shisui cared about the situation… All signs pointed to a crush.

"It can't be. He can't like me that way. Absolutely not. We're like…" Ichigo trailed off with a groan and rolled over. Like oil and water, she was going to say. Cats and dogs. Two things that exist in the same room but don't intersect. Ichigo wanted it to stay that way.

Sure, she found him attractive. And yes, she'd considered hooking up with him when she was drunk. But Ichigo was well aware that she would consider just about anyone when she felt that way. It was evidenced in her ill-planned romp with Shisui, and in the way she'd made Hiyomi cuddle her. It didn't mean anything.

But Itachi hadn't been under the influence of anything when he looked at her that way on Friday. She discounted it then as a drunken flight of fancy, but combined with his current behavior… Sleep had never felt so far away.

 

-

 

If Itachi was even more on edge Tuesday, no one told him so. Around lunch, he actually managed to push the Ichigo issue to the back of his mind. It lasted a grand total of eight minutes. Shisui threw the student council door open, took a seat on the table (despite Itachi's frequent requests he not do that) and slammed his hands down. Itachi merely raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry, not even looking up from his paperwork. Honestly, how did the faculty expect them to run a good Spirit Week with that amount of money?

"So, half of the people we recruited for concert choir bailed today. They saw the performance schedule and peaced. When you and Ichigo start dating, would you help me convince her to join? We need altos so bad."

"I… What?"

"When you and her inevitably get together, can you help me get her in choir," Shisui repeated slowly, rolling his eyes.

"That's not going to happen." Itachi nearly tripped over the words as they flew out of his mouth.

"I think you could get her to do it. I can understand her saying no to Debate, but she's a born performer. Plus, you'll do the boyfriend thing—"

"No, I mean that. There is absolutely no way that we would date. So no, I cannot." He returned to his work.

"Come on." Shisui waltzed over and snatched Itachi's paperwork. "There's no reason for you not to."

"There are plenty of reasons."

"I think you're just nervous," Shisui replied.

"I'm way too busy to date anyone, let alone pursue someone that clearly doesn't have any interest in me," Itachi retorted, leaning back in his chair.

"I think it's less that she's not interested in you and more that she's not interested in dating right now. Give it a few weeks and see if I'm right."

"So you did tell her about it." Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"Nah. We talked about something similar last weekend, that's all. I told her to stop messing with you, though."

"Messing with me?" So maybe she didn't know? His shoulders relaxed. If Ichigo didn't know, then he could forget about the crush and everything could go back to normal. They could even be friends, if he played the cards right.

"Yeah. She didn't mean anything yesterday. Like I said." Shisui shrugged.

"Why was she flirting with me, then?"

"Just for kicks."

"That's…" His stomach clenched. Having led people on himself, Itachi couldn't really judge, but it didn't sit well with him.

"I know, right? But… I don't think I've seen her do that to anyone else. Maybe she likes you more than you think."

Itachi hated the way his traitor heart swelled at that comment. Maybe… He couldn't afford to think about maybes. He definitely wouldn't spend any time considering her expressions when she spoke to him, or the way she responded, or anything like that. He certainly wouldn't set a date to reconsider asking her out. No, Itachi was not going to do any of that. He would wait, and see if these feelings went away, and keep his head down.

If his heart beat a little bit faster every time they argued in Lit, that was no one's business but his own. And if he kept the arguments going longer, fiercer, it was for the good of everyone's education. Itachi was in no way indulging his crush. That was unthinkable.


End file.
